Why I Assaulted Female Ondo Commissioner – APC Chairman
Amid the controversy surrounding the assault on the Ondo State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Adebunmi Osadahun, the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Akoko North West Ward 1, Olumide Awolumate, has explained the reasons for his altercation with the government official.
Osadahun was severely beaten after a dispute over the distribution of fuel subsidy removal palliatives allocated to the state by the Federal Government.
The APC chieftain was seen in a viral social media video striking the Ondo commissioner with a plastic chair and even attempting to hit her with a blue table before onlookers intervened at the scene.
Following wide condemnation of his action, Awolumate released a video in whichhe explained why he resorted to assaulting the commissioner.
According to him, “Today, I was at home playing a ludo game when the Commissioner for Women Affairs arrived in the company of her son, another individual, and a police officer.
“When they approached me, the police officer informed me that I was needed at the police station in Oke-Agbe. However, before I could respond or ask further questions, the commissioner’s son attacked me. As you can see, he tore my clothes. As he was assaulting me, his mother also joined in beating me… That is the face of the police officer who wanted to arrest me.”
Awolumate, who failed to mention why he was initially needed at the police station, said he resisted arrest because the officer who was in plainclothes failed to identify himself.
Meanwhile, the Ondo State Police Command has announced the arrest of the APC chieftain.
A statement by the state’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Funmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya, revealed that a full-scale investigation had commenced as the case had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Akure.
“The state government condemns in unequivocal terms the assault and bodily injury inflicted on the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Dr. Adebunmi Osadahun, by a man said to be a politician from Iye Akoko in the course of palliative distribution in Akoko North West local government. An investigation into the incident has begun, and the full weight of the law will be applied to the assailant if found guilty.
“We remind the public that the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) law prohibits all forms of violence against persons and provides maximum protection and effective remedies for victims and punishments for offenders.”
“There are better ways to seek redress or express concerns when necessary. In the distribution of palliatives, we will continue to do our best to reach the most vulnerable in our communities, and we ask for your understanding and support. We urge Ondo State residents to abide by the law at all times,” the police spokesperson added.
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