Thugs working for the Honourable Commissioner for Works and Transport, Rotimi Iliasu have allegedly beaten and injured five All Progressives Congress (APC) executives in Moro Local Government of Kwara State.
It was gathered that the thugs in their large numbers attacked the executives who were demanding their share of money paid to delegates in the just concluded APC primaries in the state.
The party primaries were conducted in Moro LG on 28th of May, 2022 and the aspirants are waiting patiently for the announcement of results by INEC officials.
Speaking with the Informant247, one of the executives, Suleman A. Raji, the APC secretary Moro Local Government, who sustained various degrees of injury, said that they were severely beaten by the thugs working with the Honourable Commissioner for Works and Transport, Rotimi Iliasu, stressing that they narrowly escape the mob attack by the Commissioner’s thugs.
Narrating the ugly incident, Raji said, “We are severely beaten and injured by the thugs working with the Honourable Commissioner for Works and Transport, Rotimi Iliasu. Initially, we have received death threats from different persons belonging to the Commissioner’s camp. I and three other APC executives from Moro Local Government of Kwara State were victims.
“The treasurer, Salman Amidu Akeju, the financial secretary, Suleman Nurudeen, the PRO, Adebayo Issa Saka, Ex-officio, Babatunde Adefalu and myself the Secretary all of us in APC from Moro Local Government Area of the state was seriously injured. The thugs stabbed one of us in the stomach and inflicted degrees of injury on others.
When asked what actually transpired between them that warrant the torture, the APC Secretary in Moro LG, stated that they were demanding the right of about 87 delegates, 27 Executives and security operatives who conducted the just concluded APC primaries in Moro Local Government Area.
Raji alleged that the APC Chairman in Moro, Alhaji Adebayo Jimoh with the TIC Chairman, Hon. AbdulGaniyu Alikinla embezzled the sum of N4, 951, 000 belonging to 87 delegates, 27 Executives, and security operatives who participated in the party’s primaries in Moro.
According to him, the Chairman collected the money for the local government delegates and refused to share it.
“When we received the money for state delegates, it was shared as directed. But when the money for local government delegates, amounting to N4,950, 000 was sent to the Chairman, he refused to share it. His phone number were switched off and we find it difficult to reach him.
“We traced him to his house, we couldn’t get him but we met his wife. We proceeded to the State Secretary, Alhaji Salman Mustapha Ishowo last Wednesday to explain the situation of things to him. The state Secretary also helped to try his phone number but it wasn’t reachable. He called Engineer Yinusa Afolabi who is a brother to the Chairman and Alhaja Aminat Adebayo, who is also a sister, to tell them what the Chairman had done.
“On our way when coming from the office of the state Secretary, we saw the Prado Jeep with an official plate number given to the Hon. Commissioner for Works and Transport, Rotimi Iliasu parked in front of Timbola Hotel. We stopped to see him and explain what had happened to him as a strong stakeholder in our party, APC. Unfortunately, the Commissioner was not there, we only met his Personal Assistant, AbdulRazaq Amori Ajila.
“On sighting us, the PA to the Commissioner ordered the thugs around him to beat us and probably kill us. Although, before then, we have been receiving calls from those thugs who threaten to kill us. We didn’t pay due attention to the calls because we only see them as a mere threat. But to our amazement, the thugs attacked us, beat us and use dangerous weapons to inflict injuries on us. In fact, one of us was stabbed in the stomach,” he expressed.
Raji confirmed that the case has been reported to the police, adding that the police has commenced thorough investigation into the matter.
He said, “We have reported the case to the police and they have begun a thorough investigation into the matter. We are taking up the case legally and we would ensure that justice is served and the perpetrators are brought to book.”
Efforts to reach the Kwara State Commissioner for Works and Transport, Hon. Rotimi Iliasu, proved abortive as he was not responding to calls at the time of filing the report.