- Safiu Kehinde
Babatunde Festus, the All Progressives Congress’ Osun House of Assembly candidate for Atakumosa East/West Local Government Area, has been arrested alongside 10 other suspects hoodlums over alleged possession of firearms.
The APC chieftain was reportedly apprehended with the other suspects by personnel of the Nigeria Naval Force in his hometown, Ifewara.
Video capturing moment of their arrest showed Babatunde being ordered on his knees with his hand behind his head as he faced the wall alongside the other suspects.
The Naval officers appeared to have intercepted the politician and his gang in a campaign vehicle branded with the image of the APC governorship candidate for the August 15 gubernatorial election, Bola Oyebamiji.
The video shared on X on Thursday showed the vehicle surrounded by the military personnel with the rifles suspected to have been recovered from the vehicle placed on the floor.
This had further raised concern over the conduct of the election which had widely been tipped to be violent.
The build up to the election had largely been marred with violence and multiple killings with the latest being the murder of one Dele Ayegbo, the purported nephew of the Osun APC Campaign Director-General, Wale Oke.
Ayegbo was reportedly shot dead on Wednesday night at Esa-Oke, Obokun Local Government Area of Osun state.