Ogun Deputy Speaker Arrested For Leading Thugs To Invade SSG’s House

The Ogun State House of Assembly’s Deputy Speaker, Oludare Kadiri, has been arrested for alleged assault during the revalidation exercise of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, confirmed the arrest. Oyeyemi explained that Kadiri was arrested after he allegedly led suspected hoodlums to invade the residence of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Tokunbo Talabi, in Oru-Ijebu, Ijebu North Local Government Area of the State.

Kadiri is representing Ijebu-North at the state Assembly. It was gathered that he was held at the Criminal Investigation Department at the Police headquarters, Eleweran, Abeokuta for the offence.

The lawmaker was alleged to have led thugs to invade and vandalize the residence of a former State Legislator Adebiyi Odugbesan.

He was said to have accused the SSG and Adegbesan of hoarding the registration materials for the ongoing APC registration and revalidation exercise in the state.

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DSP Oyeyemi confirmed that the legislator was currently under investigation.

“Some people reported him (Kadiri) to the police, accusing him of leading thugs to the house of a former lawmaker, where they attacked him and vandalised his house,” he said.

“Another person also reported that he led thugs to the residence of the SSG and also vandalised the SSG’s house.

“A Supervisory Councillor in his local government also reported that he forcibly seized the registration materials and when the police went there to recover the materials, this same man led about 20 men and assaulted the Supervisory Councillor in the presence of the police and also held the policemen hostage for almost two hours.”

“Nobody is above the law, anybody who runs afoul of the law has to face the music, that is why he was arrested and is being investigated and he will be charged to court after the conclusion of the investigation”.

On his part, Kadiri denied the allegations against him, saying they were orchestrated to tarnish his political image.

He made the denial on Friday evening through his aide, noting that the SSG was the brain behind his arrest.

He also accused the SSG of clandestinely orchestrating his impeachment as the Deputy Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly.

Kadiri accused Talabi that since his appointment as the SSG by Governor Dapo Abiodun, he has been at loggerhead with him, particularly on political matters in Ijebu North Local Government Area of the state.

“The matter is simple. The SSG is just calling a dog a bad name in order to hang him. He has been out to paint me black in Ijebu North because of politics. I have nothing to do with any invasion; I was even instrumental to how the crowd beat retreat that day,” he said.

On Tuesday, 24 lawmakers in the Assembly called for the impeachment of Kadiri.

The lawmakers made the call in a jointly signed letter, dated Tuesday, February 23, and addressed to the Clerk of the House, accusing Kadiri of alleged “abuse of office, threat to lives and properties, conduct likely to cause breach of peace and attempted murder, committed in his constituency as petitioned by Chief Adebiyi Odugbesan from his constituency”.

The lawmakers called on the House to commence the process of removing Kadiri from office at the Deputy Speaker of the House with immediate effect.