BY DAUD  OLATUNJI

ABEOKUTA  — It was a free-for -all, yesterday, in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital when some thugs believed to be operating under the instruction of a faction of the All Progressives Party, APC,   invaded the state secretariat of the party, brutalising everyone in sight including  four  journalists and  residents of Leme, Abeokuta.

The incident, which occurred at  10:30a.m. in the presence of the members of  combined Police and Army security outfit,  code named ‘Operation Messa,’ who allegedly held down the newsmen for them to be attacked  by the hoodlums.

The rampaging thugs who stormed  the APC secretariat to stop a meeting of the members of the Harmonisation Committee scheduled to hold at the party secretariat, snatched cameras belonging to the correspondents of the Galaxy Television and  MITV, Kunle Ojo and Taofeek Lawal, respectively.

The suspected thugs armed with various dangerous weapons and missiles with the aid of soldiers and policemen deployed to the APC secretariat, also snatched blackberry phones belonging to the correspondent of the Radio Nigeria/Paramount FM, Mrs. Modupe Sobukola.

Scores of residents of the area were also seriously injured by the thugs who attacked all members of the community in sight.
Several cars at a dealers’ shop near the APC state secretariat were vandalised by the thugs who also capitalised on the commotion to deprive residents of their valuables and other personal effects.

However, it was gathered that, the genesis of the crisis, was traced to the committee membership which was said not to be favourable to a faction.
It would also be recalled that, the party had since split into two factions, one headed by a  former governor of the state.

Addressing  newsmen at  Iwe Irohin Secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, shortly after the  incident,  members of the state Harmonisation Committee led by Senator  Gbenga Kaka  condemned  the  attack on  journalists and  called for police investigation.
Kaka announced the names of  the members of the harmonisation committee in the state, asking the governor to provide the Chairman of the committee.

He said: “Surprisingly  in Ogun State, before the formal inauguration of the harmonisation committee by the Interim Vice Chairman of the South West, some members of our great party decided unilaterally to be parading  themselves as acting Chairmen, Interim Executives at the various State, local government, ward and polling unit levels with no legal backing, as they attempt to usurp the functions of the yet to be inaugurated harmonisation committee.