Opeyemi: Police arrest Lagos politician

The Ekiti State Police Command has arrested a politician from Lagos State, said to have hired the policeman who fired shots on Friday at the rally of the All Progressives Congress organised for its governorship candidate, Kayode Fayemi.

Mr Fayemi narrowly escaped being shot, while a chieftain of the party, Okpeyemi Bamidele, and five others were shot, and sustaining varying degrees of injuries.

It was gathered that Mr Bamidele received bullet wounds on his abdomen, and had since undergone surgical operation to remove the bullets.

All the injured persons are said to be in stable conditions.

Police Public Relations Officer, Ekiti State command, Caleb Ikechukwu, said on Saturday in Ado Ekiti, that the policeman now hospitalised, “accidentally” shot Mr Bamidele and others.

According to Premium Times, Ikechukwu, however, refused to name the politician, who he said was already in the custody of the police.

Mr Ikechukwu, however, noted that only two persons were shot, contrary to widely circulated reports in the media.

“The policeman is attached to 20 PMF, Ikeja, Lagos State where he was posted on bank guard duties somewhere in Ikeja,” said Mr Ikechukwu.

“The policeman came on illegal duty to Ekiti State.

“A politician, who conspired and removed the said policeman from where he was posted by his squadron Commander and came to Ado-Ekiti with him for an unofficial reasons has also been arrested.”

He added that the victims of the shooting were responding to treatment at the hospital, while the injured policeman was equally responding to treatment in “a protective custody.”

The shooter was said to have been mobbed and disarmed shortly after firing the shots.

The APC had alleged that the incident was an assassination attempt on its candidate, pointing accusing fingers to the ruling PDP in the state.

PDP denied responsibility and blamed the APC for the attack.