Police arrest Ogun deputy speaker

The Police in Ogun State on Friday arrested and detained the Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Oludare Kadiri, for alleged assault.

Mr Kadiri, who represents Ijebu-North at the state assembly, was said to have carried out the alleged assault on other members of the party during the membership revalidation exercise of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

He reportedly led thugs to the residence of the Secretary to the State Government, Tokunbo Talabi, to attack him and also invaded the residence of a former state legislator Adebiyi Odugbesan, in Oru-Ijebu, Ijebu North Local Government Area of the state.

He had accused the two chieftains of hoarding the registration materials for the ongoing APC registration and revalidation exercise in the state.

Following complaints by those he allegedly assaulted, Mr Kadiri was arrested on Friday and subsequently detained at the Criminal Investigation Department at the Police headquarters, Eleweran, Abeokuta.

He was later released after interrogation.

Confirming the arrest, the Ogun State police public relations officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said Mr Kadiri is being investigated, hence the reason for the arrest.

“Some people in his area reported that he led thugs to the house of a former lawmaker where they attacked him and vandalised his house.

“They also said he vandalised the house of the SSG with the same thugs while a councillor in his local government said he forcefully seized the party’s registration materials and when the police went there to recover the materials, he assaulted them with thugs.

“We are simply investigating this because nobody is above the law. If found wanting, he would be made to face the law and that is why he was arrested and is being investigated,” the police spokesperson said.

He said Mr Kadiri would be charged to court “if police discover that he has a case to answer after the conclusion of the investigation.”

The deputy speaker did not respond to PREMIUM TIMES calls and text messages on Friday evening and Saturday morning.