Oludare Kadiri, Deputy Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly (OGHA), has been arrested for alleged assault during the revalidation exercise of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi while confirming the arrest, explained that the Deputy Speaker who represents Ijebu-North at the state Assembly was arrested after he allegedly led suspected hoodlums to invade the residence of the Secretary to the State Government, Tokunbo Talabi, in Oru-Ijebu, Ijebu North Local Government Area of the state.
The Deputy Speaker was alleged to have led thugs to invade and vandalise the residence of a former State Legislator Adebiyi Odugbesan.
Kadiri was said to have allegedly accused the SSG and Adegbesan of hoarding the registration materials for the ongoing APC registration and revalidation exercise in the state.
Kadiri was being held at the Criminal Investigation Department at the Police headquarters, Eleweran, Abeokuta for the offence.
According to DSP Oyeyemi, Kadiri is being currently investigated.
“Some people reported him (Kadiri) to the police, accusing him of leading thugs to the house of a former lawmaker, where they attacked him and vandalised his house,” he said.
“Another person also reported that he led thugs to the residence of the SSG and also vandalised the SSG’s house.
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“A Supervisory Councillor in his local government also reported that he forcibly seized the registration materials and when the police went there to recover the materials, this same man led about 20 men and assaulted the Supervisory Councillor in the presence of the police and also held the policemen hostage for almost two hours.”
“Nobody is above the law, anybody who runs foul of the law has to face the music, that is why he was arrested and is being investigated and he will be charged to court after the conclusion of the investigation”.
Kadiri reacts to the allegation
But, reacting to his arrest, Kadiri denied the allegations, saying they were orchestrated to tarnish his political image.
Speaking through his aide, on Friday evening, Kadiri noted that the SSG was the brain behind his arrest.
He also accused SSG of clandestinely orchestrating his impeachment as the Deputy Speaker of the OGHA.
Kadiri said since the appointment of Talabi as the SSG by Governor Dapo Abiodun, he has been at loggerheads with him, particularly on matters that have to do with politics in Ijebu North Local Government Area of the state.
“The matter is simple. The SSG is just calling a dog a bad name in order to hang him. He has been out to paint me black in Ijebu North because of politics. I have nothing to do with any invasion; I was even instrumental to how the crowd beat retreat that day.
Impeachment
Meanwhile, 24 lawmakers in the Assembly have called for the impeachment of Kadiri.
The lawmakers in a letter, dated Tuesday, February 23 which they jointly signed and addressed to the Clerk of the House, accused Kadiri of alleged “abuse of office, a threat to lives and properties, conduct likely to cause a breach of peace and attempted murder, committed in his constituency as petitioned by Chief Adebiyi Odugbesan from his constituency”.
They urged the House to commence the process of removing Kadiri from office as the Deputy Speaker of the House, with immediate effect.
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