Masked guards: APC faults Omisore, writes NSA

The All Progressives Congress in Osun State has written a petition to the National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.), asking him to stop the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the state, Senator Iyiola Omisore, from using masked armed men as his bodyguards.

The party said the use of masked guards by the PDP candidate was not only inappropriate but a threat to the security of the people of the state.

The Commissioner for Special Duties in the state, Mr. Bashir Ajibola, said this at a news conference in Osogbo on Thursday.

He said, “We are saying it is not proper for Omisore to use masked bodyguards. Are we sure those behind the masks are genuine security operatives? They may be some of those fake soldiers they are planning to use. If somebody in mask commits any crime, how do you want to recognise him?

“We have written to the National Security Adviser, the Director-General of the State Security Service, the Inspector-General of Police, the Commissioner of Police in Osun State and the Director of SSS in the state. He should be stopped from using masked guards.

“The President is not using masked men as his guard. So, I wonder what Omisore is trying to hide by using these strange men.”

Ajibola, who is a lawyer, said that the APC had gone to court to challenge the planned deployment of soldiers for the Osun poll.

He stated that deployment of troops for an election, which is a civic duty, was not only unconstitutional but an abuse of power.

He urged members of the National Youth Service Corps, which INEC would use for the election, not to allow themselves to be used to manipulate the process of the election.

The Director of Publicity and Strategy, Omisore Campaign Orgnaisation, Mr. Diran Odeyemi, could not be reached for his reaction to the allegation.

But he had denied the same allegation raised by the APC. He said the security personnel attached to Omisore were officials of the SSS, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and policemen.

He said, “We all know the style of the APC is to accuse others whatever is their plan or intention. If they are really concerned about the security men in Omisore’s campaign, they should contact security agencies to find out and stop playing to the gallery.

“In the campaign train are men from SSS, the police and civil defence. The PDP will never preach violence neither do we rely on thugs to win election.”

Ajibola also defended the collection of opon imo (electronic learning device) back from SS3 students. He explained that the students were not given the devices for keeps.