Some suspected political thugs on Tuesday disrupted the distribution of Federal Government’s Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP), called TraderMoni, at Lafenwa Market in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
They forced the distributors and beneficiaries to flee in different directions for safety.
But the market leaders – the Iyaloja and Babaloja of the market – were not quick and lucky with their feet.
The hoodlums seized and whisked them to an unknown location.
It was gathered that the hoodlums were over about 50.
They reportedly showed no sign of fearing the intervention of Lafenwa Divisional Police Headquarters directly beside the market.
The hoodlums attacked the handlers of the TraderMoni who were in the market to document and verify the traders’ data, including the Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC).
Many of the prospective beneficiaries (traders), whose bio-data had not been captured before the hoodlums struck and disrupted the exercise, alleged that a key member of the Abeokuta North West Local Council Development Area (LCDA) led the hoodlums to the venue and sacked everybody before abducting the Babaloja and Iyaloja.
It was learnt that the Iyaloja Lafenwa regained freedom hours later and returned to the market.
But the Chairman of Abeokuta North West LCDA, Monsuru Shorunke, told reporters that he led some “boys” to Lafenwa when they heard that some politicians “were giving the traders money in exchange for their PVCs”.
He added: “We heard that some people came to Lafenwa Market, collected people’s PVCs from the traders with their names and PVC numbers.
“And governor (Ibikunle Amosun) said we should go out and find out. It was Governor Amosun that sent us. I was in front of the governor when we heard the information. So, I collected Iyaloja’s phone number from Akintona. We took Iyaloja to the governor’s house along with Babaloja of Lafenwa.
“We believe it was wrong for them to come and collect people’s PVCs with numbers before Election Day. That was what they came to do at Lafenwa.
“My message is that we should be vigilant; not only the electorate but all politicians in Ogun State. We must be vigilant.
“These people are ready to confuse our programme by giving them money. They want to give them money because of the forthcoming elections, and it is wrong.
“No, that is wrong because that information is not right.”
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