…accuses police commissioner of withdrawing escort
Embattled Ondo State Deputy Governor, Agboola Ajayi, on Wednesday raised the alarm that his police escort has been withdrawn on the orders of the state Police Commissioner, Mr Bolaji Salami.
The deputy governor and the state police commissioner have been at loggerheads since last Saturday night over Ajayi’s plan to defect from the ruling All Progressives Congress to the Peoples Democratic Party.
The Ondo police boss had on Saturday blocked the deputy governor on his way out of the Government House, Akure, with his official vehicle.
The deputy governor, in a statement on Wednesday by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Tope Okeowo, alleged that the withdrawal of his escort had been putting his life, that of his family and staff in danger.
He said, “We are not oblivious of their surreptitious move to undermine the security of the deputy governor and strip him of his security apparatus to make him vulnerable in order to carry out their evil agenda.
“President Buhari; the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, and the Director-General of Department of State Services, Yusuf Bichi should be aware of this latest ugly development in Ondo State.
“Should anything happen to the Deputy Governor, his family and staff, the Commissioner of Police in Ondo State should be held responsible.”
But in a swift reaction, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Tee-Leo Ikoro, denied the allegation by the deputy governor, saying there was no such plan from the police commissioner.
“That should be a rumour, the CP cannot withdraw the escort of the deputy governor. The man is still the deputy governor of this state and he has the right to have his escorts. His escorts are there intact. So, there is nothing like that,” he said.