REAL REASON GOV FAYOSE WAS TEARGASSED

Executive Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose (on the ground), "teargassed" by the police.

Indications have emerged on what led to the teargassing of the Executive Governor of Ekiti State, Southwestern Nigeria, Ayodele Fayose.

Sources hinted us that what led to the incident was as a result of the threat to public peace when commercial vehicles drivers hired by the Governor to park their vehicles at the entrance to the Government House in the State Capital were protesting that they were not paid for the service rendered.

"If you wish to know exactly what sparked off  the use of teargas, there was a rally going on at the state pavilion close to the Governor's Office's entrance and the drivers came there to protest that they were shortchanged in the payment agreed with the Governor. The Governor's supporters decided to respond to their protest by manhandling them. And in the process, the police was called in who then used forced to disperse them," the source told us.

Our source who disclosed this from his base at Ado Ekiti, the State Capital, also explained that the photograph of the Governor seen on the ground as an effect of being teargassed is sheer propaganda.

"Though I'm not in support of the use of force by security agencies, but that someone is twisting facts to whip up public sympathy is wrong. I am on ground and not relying on social media updates," he said.

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Corroborating the above account, another source who didn't want his identity revealed, said  one of the drivers union leaders, Kamoru Ojuolape, stormed the Government House Wednesday morning to demand for the money promised them. When he was not receiving the desired response, he flew into a rage, and confusion ensued.

"One of the drivers union leaders, Kamoru Ojuolape, stormed the Government House this morning (Wednesday) to demand for the N10,000 (about US$29) that the Governor promised each of them to park their vehicles overnight in order to disrupt transportation system to hurt APC rally.

"The drivers became unruly when they discovered that some parts of their vehicles had been vandalised.  But their requests to see the Governor were turned down while some of the aides of the Governor blasted the drivers who responded by throwing punches.

"Some of the Governor's aides joined the fray, which further drew the anger of other drivers. In the orgy of violence that ensued, policemen were called in to quell the riot with tear gas.

"Meanwhile, minutes later, the picture of the Governor, who was nowhere near the scene at the time of the incident, appeared on social media that he was teargassed by the police," the second source narrated.

As at the time of filing this report, the police were said to have invited the leaders of the drivers to the State Police Headquarters to settle the dispute.