Suspected political thugs invade, torch politician’s home in Ondo

DAMISI OJO, Akure

The home of a popular politician in Ondo city, Hon. Olaolu Oladapo, was on Saturday night invaded by some armed political thugs.

But the politician’s son and daughter were not around when the hoodlums got there.

The hoodlums were said to have ransacked the rooms, vandalised the apartment and torched the house before they left.

Some of the neighbours said they could hear the wild-looking political thugs calling the names of the son and the daughter identified as Precious and Olufunmi.

One of the residents, who spoke to newsmen on conditions of anonymity, said: “I could hear the thugs calling the daughter and the son, Olufunmi and Precious, to come out from their hiding.

“They said they would not do them any harm even when they were carrying firearms and different dangerous weapons.

“When they didn’t hear any response from the house, they broke into the apartment and ransacked the house and scattered clothes and documents on the floor.

“Then suddenly we saw smoke coming out of the compound, that’s when we realized that they had torched the house before leaving.

“We called firefighters and those of us in the neighbourhood started pouring water mixed detergent into the house to put out the fire.

“Though we eventual extinguished the fire, a larger part of the house had been burnt.”

Another resident in the neighbourhood disclosed that the family had been under attacks in the last one year.

She disclosed the husband was kidnapped on January 24, 2021, along Ore/Benin Expressway while returning from a political meeting in Ore, Odigbo Local Government Area of the state.

The wife, Mrs. Toyin Queen Oladapo, was also kidnapped on July 9, the same year in her private car along Owo/Akungba Road. Neither of them has ever shown up in the house since, including their son and daughter.

A competent source at Yaba Police station, who confirmed the incident, disclosed that the hoodlums tied the hands of the gateman who they met at home after beating him to stupor.

“I can confirm the incident though on condition of anonymity because I am not authorised to speak to the press.

“It is an outright political attack and fortunately they didn’t meet their targets, the daughter and son of the politician.

“We have begun an investigation into the attack and we will surely track down the perpetrators very soon. They can only run, they can’t hide. Some people resident in the area told us that they saw the thugs,” a police chief said.

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