Police Arrest Thugs Who Planned to Disrupt APC Primaries in Ekiti

* Lawmaker denies sponsoring thugs

Gbenga Sodeinde in Ado Ekiti

Tension rose in Ekiti State as the All Progressives Congress (APC) prepares for its House of Representatives primary election on Saturday, after 11 individuals suspected of planning to disrupt the vote were arrested.

The Ekiti State Police Command presented the suspects to the press and said they were connected to a sitting federal lawmaker, who has denied any role in the alleged plot.

Police said the operation aimed to prevent chaos in the Moba/Ilejemeje/Ido-Osi Federal Constituency primary after officers raided Onikoyi Hotel in Ikun-Ekiti and seized firearms, including pump‑action guns.

During a press briefing in Ado‑Ekiti, Commissioner of Police Mr. Falade Adegoroye Michael explained that the raid was based on reliable intelligence that armed hoodlums had gathered at the hotel before the primary.

According to the commissioner, Rapid Response Squad officers stormed the hotel around 9 p.m. on May 14, arresting seven suspects, while others fled in three vehicles.

The detained individuals were identified as Adekunle Stephen, Adepoju Adebayo, Boluwaji Ishola, Oluwatobi Adeoluwa, Akintunde Emmanuel, Adewale Makanjuola and Ibitola Babatope.

Police recovered from the suspects two pump‑action guns, a Beretta pistol, nine rounds of 9 mm live ammunition, four live cartridges, substances suspected to be charms, two Apple laptops and a Honda Accord that was said to belong to one of the suspects.

A subsequent operation intercepted an unregistered Toyota Sienna bus carrying four fleeing suspects—Abanikanda Sikiru, Dayo Ibijowo, Ajayi Dele and Adegbite Damola—and recovered another pump‑action gun.

Commissioner Michael said preliminary investigations indicated the suspects admitted to being hired to disrupt the APC primary. He added that the suspects claimed the lawmaker, who represents the Moba/Ilejemeje/Ido‑Osi Federal Constituency and is seeking re‑election, was involved in the scheme.

He emphasized that investigations were ongoing and that all suspects would be prosecuted once the inquiry concluded, while efforts continued to locate the remaining fugitives and their alleged sponsors.

Responding to the accusations, the lawmaker said the allegations were politically motivated and aimed at damaging his reputation before the primary.

Speaking to journalists in Ado‑Ekiti, he stated that only two of the arrested individuals were known to him, identifying them as members of his media team.

“They said they went to that hotel and caught some people. It is only two people that I know among them – the head of my media team and my assistant media aide, Boluwatife Ishola and Babatope Ibitola. They are media professionals well known in Ekiti State and have never been involved in criminality,” he said.

He added that none of the other suspects was from his federal constituency or worked for him.

“The rest that were arrested are well known in town. None of them is from my federal constituency, none works for me and I do not live in the hotel. I only lodged there briefly when my house was fumigated and had since returned home,” he said.

The lawmaker further claimed that some of those arrested were government appointees and “non‑state actors” allegedly working against his interests.

When questioned about the claim that he supplied weapons, he said, “How can they say I bought guns for people? Do I even own a gun? I had thriving businesses before joining politics. I am not a puppet.”

He also accused one of his primary opponents of attempting to intimidate voters and manipulate the process rather than campaigning within the constituency.

“My opponent is only eager to write results. He is not ready for the primary or the real contest. Democracy is government of the people, not an individual sitting comfortably at home and writing results,” he stated.