Ex-Lawmaker, Opeyemi Bamidele Shot In Ekiti

A member of the seventh House of Representatives and governorship aspirant in Ekiti State, Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, and five other persons have been shot. They were shot at the All Progressives Congress secretariat in Ajilosun, Ado Ekiti, during a reception organised for the governorship candidate of the party, Dr. Kayode Fayemi. It was learnt that the bullets came from the rifle of a mobile policeman who was among those deployed in the place to ensure security. Consequently, Bamidele was rushed to an unknown hospital for treatment with the yet to be identified other victims. The reason behind the rage of the policeman has yet to be ascertained. But an eyewitness said the policeman was provoked by some thugs who laid a siege to dignitaries at the secretariat. The rally, which attracted mammoth crowd of party supporters and admirers across the state, began on a good note from Akure airport, Ondo State before things went awry. Bamidele was standing with the Governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu, Fayemi and a former Minister of State for Works, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, when the policeman pulled the trigger. Bamidele started muttering, “I have been hit by bullet, I have been hit by bullet,” repeatedly before he was rushed into a waiting car. The cameraman of Core TV in Ekiti, Sunkanmi Ogunmuko, also sustained injuries in the ensuing melee. Many reporters at the scene scaled the fence to safety to avoid being hit by bullets. Angry mob descended on the mobile policeman and hit his head with sticks and other items before he was rescued by his colleagues. Earlier, Fayemi and his entourage including his running mate, Chief Bisi Egbeyemi, had been received in Ikere Ekiti by a large crowd of party supporters, which caused serious traffic congestion along Ado–Akure Road. Before the crisis, Akeredolu while addressing party members said Fayemi had come home to rescue Ekiti from the pangs of poverty and wanton neglect caused by the Peoples Democratic Party’s administration. He applauded the party members for putting behind them the pre-primary crisis to mobilise for Fayemi. “Fayemi has returned with full force to reclaim the land. He needs your support and this task shall be achieved in the mighty name of God”, he prayed. Responding, Fayemi said he returned home to work for Ekiti with party leaders because “it is a collective responsibility.” He said, “We are going to work with everybody, including those who just defected to our party, because we are one big family in the APC. We shall win by the grace of God.”]]>