Ogun PDP condemns arrest of lawmaker, blames APC for Sagamu killings

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State on Thursday condemned the arrest of the lawmaker representing Sagamu Constituency 1 in the state House of Assembly, Damilare Bello, over the violence in the area.

At least 20 people were reportedly killed during a violent clash between two cult groups – Eiye and Aye Confraternity – in the Sagamu area of the state last week.

However, nine persons had been arrested in connection with the incident.

𝘽𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙤, who is popularly known as 𝘿𝙍𝙀, was arrested on Wednesday night by the Department of Security Service, (𝘿𝙎𝙎).

In a statement issued by its Publicity Secretary in the state, 𝗔𝘀𝗶𝘄𝗮𝗷𝘂 𝗔𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗲 𝗕𝗮𝗻𝗸𝗼𝗹𝗲, the party decried the DSS handling of the investigation into the crisis.

It also blamed the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for the mayhem.

The PDP, therefore, charged the secret police not to become a willing tool in the hands of the state government in its bid to harass the opposition and perceived enemies in the state.

The statement read: “As much as we do not object to DSS or any security agency investigation into the Sagamu carnage which has allegedly claimed more than 25 lives, we think that the investigation is not being conducted with optimum professionalism and sincerity.

READ ALSO: Ogun lawmaker, six others in DSS custody over Sagamu cult violence

“The ruling government of Prince Dapo Abiodun is currently supervising the over-sensationalisation of the arrest as news of the arrest was being carried by all State-Owned media organisations 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙖s 𝙛𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙣t 𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙮𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙙𝙖𝙮. The whole thing is an orchestrated attempt to give Hon. DRE a bad name just to hang him.

“It is also interesting that the Sagamu 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙣t 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙈𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙡𝙮 𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙯𝙚𝙙 𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙤𝙙𝙖𝙮 𝙗𝙮 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝘼𝙋𝘾-𝙚𝙣𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙪𝙜𝙨.

“The same man who returned from London to Abeokuta where he raised contributions on the floor of the House yesterday on security matters in his constituency.

“Perhaps, 𝙬𝙚 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙜𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙋𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝘿𝙖𝙥𝙤 𝘼𝙗𝙞𝙤𝙙𝙪𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 i𝙣𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙧𝙮 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙢𝙪 𝙠𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙗𝙮 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙙𝙪𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖 𝙙𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙗𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙢𝙢𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙘𝙝 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙪𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙧𝙪𝙥𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙙𝙪𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙈𝙖𝙧𝙘𝙝 𝙂𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙤𝙧𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥 𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙞𝙣 𝙎𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙢𝙪 𝙇𝙂A.

“Yes, the same election was violently rigged by unscrupulous elements seen in a video shown in an open court at the election tribunal sitting in Abeokuta. This is the reason we have always held that the Sagamu killings are a direct fallout of the criminal empowerment of cultists against the people by Mr. Abiodun and his APC in his needless desperation to secure an undeserved second term in office.

“The onus is, however, on the DSS to rise above partisanship in its duties. The security outfit is a creation of the law and should not be reduced to a mere tool of a political witch hunt by both the governor and his rudderless APC against perceived opponents.

“The trajectories of Messrs Femi Davies, Daud Olatunji, and recently, Wale Adedayo are still fresh in our memories.”

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