#EndSARS: Attack on Osun governor ‘an assasination attempt’ — Govt

The Osun State government has spoken on the attack on Governor Gboyega Oyetola and some of his cabinet members by some hoodlums during #EndSARS protest in Osogbo, the state capital on Saturday.

The government was however, silent of the report that two people died during the attack.

Some thugs armed with cutlasses and other weapons attacked Mr Oyetola while he was addressing protesters at Olaiya junction.

During his engagement with the youth, some men started shooting and hurling stones at the governor’s car.

He was taken away from the scene by security operatives. Several protesters were attacked also by the armed men, and two died.

Speaking about the incident, the state Commissioner for Information, Funke Egbemode, kept mum on the deaths of the protesters.

Mrs Egbemode in her statement said what happened on Saturday was an assassination attempt.

“This was certainly beyond the #EndSARS protest. The people who launched the attack were not protesters at all,” she said.

“Protests have been going on in the State for some days now, and there had been no attack on any government official since the beginning of the protest. However, today’s attack changed the narrative.

“It was not a spontaneous attempt. The attackers had it all planned. They had guns and other weapons. In fact, it was a woman who smashed the windscreen of the vehicle of the Secretary to the State Government, Wole Oyebamiji where I was.

“It is really sad that these people infiltrated the ranks of the peaceful protesters and took advantage of the Governor’s walk with the youths to execute their sinister intentions.

“It was simply a street coup to take out the Governor, his Deputy and the Secretary to the State Government, all of whom were exposed during the protest and had to be smuggled into vehicles when the attack was launched,” she wrote.

At least 12 people have died in the nationwide protests.