Thugs break into Ondo APC secretariat and assault chairman and others.
Unknown gunmen suspected to be thugs stormed the Ondo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) secretariat in Akure, the state capital, in the early hours of Thursday, leaving several party officials injured in a brutal attack. The assailants forced their way into the party’s office, assaulted the state APC chairman, Raheem Akinyemi, and the Chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Wasiu Olatunbosun, who was in Akure on official and party business. Several other party members present at the secretariat were also beaten and sustained various degrees of injuries.
Eyewitnesses said the attackers arrived in groups and fired gunshots into the air to create panic before entering the secretariat. The victims were reportedly beaten with sticks, machetes and other weapons, forcing some to flee for safety. Akinyemi and the NDDC commissioner were rushed to a nearby hospital, where they were treated for cuts and bruises, and later discharged. Some of the other victims received treatment at the scene before being taken home, while others remained under observation at medical facilities.
The motive for the attack was not immediately clear, but sources said tension had been building among factions within the state APC in the wake of leadership disputes and preparations for upcoming local and national elections. Party members condemned the assault, saying violent acts have no place in the democratic process and calling on security agencies to arrest and prosecute those responsible.
Security operatives, including personnel from the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services, were said to have visited the secretariat after the incident to secure the area and reassure party members of their safety. No arrests had been reported as of the latest updates, and an official police statement on the matter was pending, even as investigations were expected to begin to unravel the circumstances surrounding the attack.
The assault has sparked widespread outrage among political stakeholders in Ondo State, with many urging calm and restraint as the state prepares for critical political activities in the coming months. Party leaders also appealed to all members to support peace and unity, warning that such acts of violence undermine democratic values and the rule of law.
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