GOVERNOR Rauf Aregbesola of Osun and the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, on Saturday, traded words over the alleged destruction of properties worth about N250 million in some communities of Ife South local government area on 6th of April, 2018.

Aregbesola, who spoke through his media aide, Mr Sola Fasure described as untrue and ridiculous allegation by the opposition that he was shielding his special adviser on forestry, Mr Tunde Ajilore who was accused of leading thugs to destroy houses, cash crops and other valuables in the communities from honouring police invitation at Zone 11, Osogbo and at the Lagos office of FSARS.

However, in a statement signed by the PDP chairman in Osun State, Mr Soji Adagunodo, the party said “Governor Rauf Aregbesola “should hand over to the Police, Mr Tunde Ajilore, his special adviser on forestry, who is being wanted for leading violent attacks on some villages in Ife axis of the state”.

The statement reads, the party referred to the statement credited to a traditional ruler of one of the villages attacked, Oba Taofeek Adeola Olaposi Osunmakinde, Obawure of Ife Tuntun, who spoke on behalf of Oba Timothy Adedokun Adeyera (Ologboru of Ibehun Ife), Oba Michael Adebayo Babatunde Awoyefa ( Ogbobodunrin of Olomidudu town), among others, who claimed that health centre, boreholes and schools were also destroyed during the attacks”.

“Consequent upon complaints of the villagers, the Police authorities subsequently sent down their men to arrest those behind the attack and some of those fingered were picked up.

But, the ringleader of the attack, Mr Ajilore is being shielded by the governor.

Rather than obeying simple police invitation, Ajilore through some state counsel wrote the Police authorities that he was indisposed and will only be fit enough to honour police request by July”.

Reacting over the development, Fasure contended that “if Police is after somebody, it is the Police that will make the information public and not the PDP.

When Police talk, PDP can’t be doing Police work for them. There was the encroachment on forest reservation, it didn’t start today now. Before these people used to beg”.

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He continued, “it is not my style to be reacting to PDP statement. It is not from the strategic point of view to react to their statement.

Let the Police talk now. Then, we would react to that.

These people have been begging government and suddenly why are they now accusing the government, it is clear encroachment and that was a criminal act on their part. It is the encroachment on forest reservation.

They (communities) have fallen trees and built houses”.

When contacted, Oba Ife Tuntun, who spoke to Sunday Tribune on the telephone said Ajiore had been avoiding to honour Police invitation for more than a month, citing illness as the reason for not being available, just as claimed that he was sighted at Governor’s Office last week.

When contacted, the Commissioner of Police in Osun State, Mr Fimihan Adeoye said the matter had not been reported to him, saying “I am not aware of it”.

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