The Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party has accused Governor Dapo Abiodun of using the operatives of the Department of State Security Services to harass the opposition.
The party equally condemned what it described “as the ongoing media trial of Hon. Damilare Bello representing Sagamu Constituency I, who was arrested last night by DSS officers allegedly in connection with the last Sagamu cult clashes”.
In a statement issued by the party’s Publicity Secretary, Asiwaju Akinloye Bankole, and made available to journalists on Thursday, the party said it was concerned that the investigation was not being done with utmost professionalism and sincerity.
The party said it was also not happy with how “the 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 residence at the time of his arrest yesterday. The whole thing is an orchestrated attempt to give Hon Damilare Bello a bad name just to hang him”.
The party also claimed that the Sagamu residence of the lawmaker was vandalised by some hoodlums, urging security agencies to probe the incident.
“As a law-abiding political organisation, our great party will work with the DSS, and indeed other security agencies in ensuring peace and tranquility in Ogun state but we shall also not fold our arms and watch the governor who is still utterly bitter with imminent electoral defeats to throw innocent members of the public under the bus”.
Speaking with our correspondent, the Minority Leader of Ogun State House of Assembly, Hon Lukman Adeleye, also confirmed the arrest of the lawmaker on Wednesday night around 12 am.
Adeleye said, “Yes, we were at the DSS office today (Thursday) to check on Hon Damilare Bello who was arrested in a Gestapo manner within the legislative quarters, Abeokuta in the hours of Thursday say around 12 am. We condemned the manner of the arrest which we see as just sheer intimidation from the executive arm of the government. We are further saddened by the fact that the state government was already circulating the information of his arrest and that he was found with guns whereas the DSS didn’t tell us that.
“The DSS has required that we should allow them to do their jobs and we have agreed and equally told them to be fast about whatever they want to do. So, we are hoping for the best and that justice will eventually prevail.”