Arrested Ondo AAC guber candidate, activists are cultists, not protesters – Police

The Nigerian Police has stated that the governorship candidate of the African Action Congress, AAC, Kunle Wizeman Ajayi, and others arrested during day-10 of the #EndBadGovernance protest in Akure, Ondo State capital, were cultists.

While also tagging Ajayi and the protesters as cyber criminals, the Ondo State Police Command stated that the insignia on their berets gave them out.

The AAC governorship candidate and other protesters identified as Patrick Owolabi, Oluwatobi Akinkuotu, Kolawole Kumuyi, and Olalekan Oladehinde, among others, were arrested on Saturday in Akure during the protest, between the popular NEPA roundabout and the Arcade Arena.

While admitting that Ajayi and the activists, under the aegis of the Take It Back Movement, notified the Police of the protest, the Command stated that the protesters failed to adhere to the directives as regards the protest.

The Police image maker emphasised that the arrest became imperative due to the rising number of protesters who were joined by those suspected to be hoodlums.

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A statement issued by the Command said, “On August 9, 2024, at about 1730 hrs, a letter of request was received by the office of the Commissioner of Police from a group codenamed “Take It Back” regarding its intention to stage a peaceful protest on August 10, 2024.

“The letter sought, among others, police presence and the approval of a location suitable for the gathering. The Commissioner of Police promptly approved Arcade Arena for the gathering and equally directed that the approval information should be communicated to the applicant through a designated phone number on the letter.

“Surprisingly, about 0900 hours on August 10, 2024, information was received of the presence of some placards carrying individuals numbering about 10 at the NEPA Roundabout. It is worthy to mention that the group of 10 grudgingly accepted to go; however, between the NEPA Roundabout and Officers Mess, the number swelled to about 50.

“Physical and intelligence assessments of the increasing crowd suggested the infiltration of malicious elements, as efforts by the police team on the ground to prevent these intruders resulted in the protesters becoming unruly.

“In furtherance, the high-profile nature of some of the arrested suspects poses a significant security threat to the state and Nigeria at large.

“Therefore, the command seeks the cooperation and support of residents and indigenes as the state moves towards electioneering campaigns for upcoming gubernatorial elections.”