Two persons have lost their lives and five overs injured after violence broke out the ward congress of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Idanre, Ondo State.
The incident, which occurred at Odode-Idanre, the headquarters of Idanre LGA, as the ruling party conducted congresses across its 203 wards in the state.
The unrest is believed to be a spillover of Tuesday’s disruption at the party’s secretariat in Akure, where suspected hoodlums invaded a stakeholders’ meeting and assaulted party leaders.
Raphael Adetimehin, younger brother of the state caretaker chairman, was among those targeted.
He sustained machete wounds after assailants allegedly mistook him for his brother due to their resemblance.
Eyewitnesses said his vehicle was set ablaze, and he was rushed to the General Hospital in Idanre, where he remains in a coma.
Ade Adetimehin claimed the assault was politically motivated and sponsored by hoodlums linked to Tajudeen Adefisoye, a former house of representatives member, whom he described as an ally of Lucky Aiyedatiwa, governor of Ondo.
“They targeted my brother because they thought he was me. They shot him several times but bullets could not penetrate, so he was cut several times with a cutlass,” Adetimehin said.
A family source, however, said Raphael may not have survived the attack, adding that two other men — including one driving a Venza — were fatally shot during the chaos.
Identities of the additional victims were still being confirmed as of the time of this report.
The Ondo state police command confirmed the violence, adding that five unidentified persons were attacked and a vehicle set on fire.
“Three victims sustained varying degrees of injury and are currently receiving medical attention while two others were confirmed dead at the hospital,” the police public relations officer said.
Adebowale Lawal, the state commissioner of police, alongside Oluyemi Ibiloye, the NSCDC commandant, led a combined security team to the scene, restoring order.
The police said investigations are ongoing to identify and apprehend those responsible.
