In a shocking revelation that has sent shockwaves across the political landscape, APC lawmaker representing Obafemi Owode Constituency at the Ogun State House of Assembly, Hon. Damilola Soneye, has been accused of allegedly empowering thugs to ensure electoral victory for Governor Dapo Abiodun during the recent elections in a bid to secure his party’s success.
The allegations surfaced after an investigative report by the Nigerian Police was released with substantial evidence, including witness testimonies and video recordings, linking Hon. Soneye to the empowerment of thugs during the election period.
According to the report, the lawmaker allegedly provided financial and logistical support, including guns, to these thugs, enabling them to intimidate opposition supporters, disrupt and manipulate the voting process to favour the APC candidate, Governor Abiodun.
The 36-page report further suggested that these actions were orchestrated to secure an overwhelming victory for the governor.
According to the police, one Otunba Taofeeq Sokoya, popularly known as Danku, who is currently on the run, has been fingered to lead the gang under the supervision of Hon. Soneye.
In his testimony, an engineer, Seun Samuel, who lives in Mowe, revealed that he was contracted by Hon. Soneye on March 18, 2023, to work for the All Progressives Congress, APC.
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“I worked with one Yemi, who is a close ally of Hon. Soneye. My first meeting with him was sometime in January 2023 in his house alongside Yemi, Silver, and others whose names I can’t recall.
“We were told to cause chaos and snatch ballot boxes at any polling center where it is discovered that voting is not in favour of APC. After the meeting, the sum of N50,000 (Fifty thousand naira only) was sent to my FCMB account with account number 5818439010 by Hon. Soneye,” he said.
Samuel further stated that the said Yemi was the one in charge of arms and ammunition, and he distributed cut-to-size locally made pistols to the thugs present, which were to be used to disrupt the election process in Mowe and its environs.
“On 18th March 2023, Hon. Soneye, myself, and some others were gathered at the collation centre at Ofada area of Ogun state when Hon. Soneye ordered that we should move quickly to the polling centre at Redemption Camp area.
“Silver fired gunshots into the air, scaring all voters present into taking to their heels for the safety of their lives. Thereafter, Hon. Soneye led the thugs back to the collation centre,” he narrated.
The report further stated that Samuel was earlier arrested with the gun in his possession and charged to court.
However, while remanded in prison, Hon. Soneye was reported to have ensured that his bail conditions were met and his bail secured. Samuel also claimed that after the declaration of Governor Dapo Abiodun as the governor-elect for Ogun State, Hon. Soneye credited his aforementioned account with another sum of N50,000 (Fifty thousand naira only) with a promise that now that elections have been won, he will start working fully with the thugs.
Another thug, Sanu Jamiu, also known as JBoy, gave credence to Samuel’s narrative that they were sponsored and armed to disrupt the governorship election in favour of Governor Abiodun.
“I’m an Okada rider residing at No.11, Jalugba street, Iperu-Remo, Ogun State. I started working with politicians since the year 2019 and became a member of Aiye confraternity cult group in the year 2009 but renounced membership of the cult group in the Year 2022. In the month of February 2023, one EFUJE aka Alhaji, who was once a councilor in ward 5, Iperu-remo and an APC member, invited me to work as a political thug for Prince (DR) Dapo Abiodun for the period of the election and promised a handsome compensation. In addition, I was in a group of about sixteen thugs contracted by the said EFUJE, and we were all given fifty thousand naira (N50,000) to share before the presidential elections when he first met with EFUJE.
“The group of sixteen was led by one Kehinde, aka ALARA. During the 2023 presidential elections, EFUJE, on behalf of Governor Dapo Abiodun, instructed the thugs that each polling unit should be manned by three thugs such that there will be no incidence of ballot box snatching.
“However, on 18th March 2023, during the gubernatorial elections, EFUJE called at about 7 am when I was at Four junction and instructed us to move around all the polling units and observe the trend of elections.
“At about 3 pm of the same day, EFUJE called back stating that the PDP was winning elections at St. John Primary School Ward 5 and instructed that we should move there and cause mayhem, snatch the ballot boxes, and destroy them, which we did immediately.
“We arrived at the aforementioned polling unit on a motorcycle, caused violence, snatched the ballot box, and took it to Ansarudeen Primary School, Powerline area of Iperu-Remo, where we emptied the ballot papers from the box and also destroyed the ballot box before leaving,” Jamiu said.
It was reported that Sanu Jamiu stated clearly that he knew that EFUJE took directives directly from Governor Dapo Abiodun before passing the same to the thugs to act.
In response to the allegations, Hon. Soneye has vehemently denied any involvement in empowering thugs or engaging in any illegal activities during the elections. He dismissed the claims as a politically motivated smear campaign aimed at tarnishing his reputation and that of his party. The lawmaker stated that he remains committed to upholding the principles of democracy and respects the will of the people.
“On 18th March 2023, being the day of the gubernatorial and House of Assembly elections in Ogun State, my movement was limited to his house, his polling unit 050 ward 02, and the collation center at Ofada area of Ogun State.
“Vote counting couldn’t be concluded at the collation center at Ofada and had to be moved to Obafemi Owode local Government Secretariat for completion. I was never near Redeemed Christian church camp area or opposite the RCC camp nor sponsored thugs for the elections,” he said.
He also claimed that there was no violence whatsoever during the March 18th, 2023 elections in Obafemi Owode Local Government as a whole, nor armed thugs with weapons before, during, and after the elections.
These allegations and many more, as seen in the copy of the report attached, have sparked outrage among the opposition party members, who have demanded a thorough investigation into the matter.
They argue that such acts undermine the principles of a free and fair election, as well as erode the trust and confidence citizens place in their elected representatives.
Ojelabi, the publisher of Freelanews, is an award winning and professionally trained mass communicator and a recipient of the D9112 Superstar Icon Award, who writes ruthlessly about pop culture, religion, politics and entertainment.
