At least ten gunmen on Saturday stormed the Ake Palace Ground in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, venue of the ongoing parallel congress of a group of the All Progressives Congress, APC, loyal to the former Governor Ibikunle Amosun.
According to report gathered by 9news Nigeria, the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Olamilekan Adegbite; the Senator representing Ogun West Senatorial District, Tolu Odebiyi and the governorship candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement, APM in the 2019 election in the State, Adekunle Akinlade were among the dignitaries who were already at the venue before the gunmen came calling.
The Minister and the Senator who had barely arrived at the venue in the company of Akinlade and others were exchanging pleasantries with party loyalists when the gunmen invaded the venue.
The trio however escaped unhurt but many others were unlucky as they sustained different degrees of injuries.
The gunmen who were allegedly led by a Transport Union leader in Ogun State alighted from their vehicle and shoot their ways into the venue of the Congress.
One of the party faithful who also escaped unhurt but doesn’t want his name mentioned said he identified a chieftain of a road transport-related association leading the thugs.
Several vehicles parked in front of the Palace were destroyed while men of the Ogun State Police Command deployed to the venue looked away.
Immediately after the thugs left the venue, party faithful allegedly descended on the police officers at the venue and attempted to chase the security operatives away.
They were, however, unsuccessful as the officers started shooting and released tear gasses to wade off the angry mob.