Ridwan Mukaila Lamidi, the son of the Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee of the Parks Management System (PMS), Alhaji Mukaila Lamidi popularly called auxiliary on Saturday shot at installers of the Tinubu billboards at Adegbayi, Alakia and Iwo Road areas of Ibadan, the Oyo state capital.
Oyoecho reports that Ridwan had earlier led his gang to distrupt installations of the Tinubu billboards in the area, claiming that oppositions were not allowed to erect campagin materials in his domain.
One of the crews who spoke with our correspondent said after they received warning from Ridwan led gang, the team was about to leave when they shot at them.
According to him, the crew was able to escape the gunshots because they were preparing to leave the venue when Ridwan shot at them.
A voice note obtained by oyoecho.com revealed that the thugs were threatening to destroy any billboards belonging to APC candidates erected in Ibadan.
Oyoecho.com recalled that a magistrates’ court in Ibadan, Oyo State adjourned the trial of the Ibadan trouble maker and the father of Ridwan, Alhaji Mukaila Lamidi, aka Auxilliary (61) to April 27.
Auxiliary was arraigned on November 17, 2022, over alleged destruction of billboards of the candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) worth N4.2m and charged with six counts bordering on conspiracy, unlawful damage and breach of public peace.
The prosecutor, ASP Sunday Fatola, told the court that the defendant and others at large allegedly conspired to commit the offence.
The police alleged that the defendant, on November 13, at Igboora, at about 7pm willfully and unlawfully damaged APC billboards bearing the pictures of the party’s presidential, governorship and House of Representatives candidates, valued at N1.2m.
The prosecution said that on November 13, at about 11am at Ido in the Omi-Adio Lamidi allegedly conspired with others to willfully and unlawfully damage APC billboards bearing the picture of Aderemi Oseni, the party’s House of Representatives candidate, worth N3m.
Our correspondent further recalled that the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba who was concerned about the rising attacks and destruction of posters and billboards belonging to opposition political parties in some states, warned governing parties and persons perpetrating the act to desist from doing so or face arrest and prosecution.
The Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi who recently stated this in Abuja pointed out that defacing posters and destroying billboards were criminal. He called on candidates and political parties to rein in their supporters.
Meanwhile, the Southwest leader of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, Alhaji Adebisi AbdleRasheed Olopoeyan has commended the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Usman Alikali Baba for arrest and arraignment of the chairman Park Management System in Oyo State, Mukaila Lamidi popularly called auxiliary.
Olopoeyan said with the arraignment of auxiliary, he has been vindicated that the governor of the state, Seyi Makinde was behind the destruction of oppositions billboards in the state.
