By Shina Abubakar – Osogbo

The Chairman of Ede-North Local Government Council Area of Osun State, Daud Akinloye, has disclosed that hoodlums did not attack the council Secretariat but volunteered to protect it against further invasion.

It would be recalled that the council secretariat was one of the few attacked by hoodlums during the wanton looting and vandalisation in some parts of the state during the EndSARS protest that turned violent.

Speaking with journalists, Akinloye said the boys who were sited at the council Secretariat on Monday feel pained by the wanton looting and vandalisation of the council and decided to watch over the council to avoid another spate of attack being planned by hoodlums.

He added that having heard from the state government that some hoodlums were planning to cause trouble in the and police authority refused to protect the Secretariat, the youths decided to manned it against invasion.

He added that insinuation about his kidnapped was also false, saying the story was spread by his detractors and to create unnecessary tension in the community.

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“Nobody attack the council, the last time the council was been attacked was last on Saturday, October 24, when properties were carted away and since that time nobody attacks the council. It is a complete lie if anybody says there was an attack on Monday.

“Some people insinuated that I was kidnapped. I was not kidnapped at all.

“We have been using thugs since hoodlums invaded the Secretariat, they are in charge, thugs are in control of the place for security purposes.

“No police is available to rescue people again, it is thugs that is rescuing people around and it is thugs that even rescue our local government now.

“The Atapara boys are the ones who lead other reasonable people in the community to send away the looters, they are the  ones that are helping the local government to recover the looted properties since Saturday.

“They were on ground because the police is not answering anybody. The thugs are on ground to protect the LGA. They are volunteers to help in protecting LGA properties.

“They are the one that ensure our security else we wouldn’t have come to the office,” he added.

Vanguard News Nigeria.