Gbenro Adesina
The lawmaker representing Oyo Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Senator Teslim Folarin, has described the attack on his home at the Oluyole Estate extension in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, by hoodlums on Saturday, October 24, 2020 as condemnable and very disheartening .
In a statement on Saturday after the incident, Senator Folarin, who is also the Senate Committee Chairman on Local Content, believes the attack was carried out by those he described as coordinated hoodlums.
According to him, over 1,100 empowerment items such as motorcycles, deep freezers, generators, and grinding machines, among others were looted from his house.
Saying he was thankful that no fatality was recorded, Senator Folarin, however, advised the state government to strengthen its security architecture to prevent a reoccurrence of such an incident.
The statement read in part: “The perpetrators of the invasion and looting were not #ENDSARS protesters but coordinated hoodlums. They even broke down doors to rooms in the house to steal valuable assets. It was a pure daylight robbery.
“The actions of the hoodlums are condemnable, and it is very disheartening that some bad elements in our society are hiding under the guise of #ENDSARS protests to loot and disrupt peaceful atmosphere in Nigeria.
“I thank God we did not record any fatality, despite the violent invasion of my Oluyole house, looted materials and vandalisation therein.
“For the sake of clarification, I have just formally taken receipt of the empowerment materials from a federal agency coordinating constituency projects for federal lawmakers.
“Also, I used my personal money to procure additional materials. I took stock of the materials ahead of a mega empowerment programme scheduled to hold in November 2020.
“Apart from the mega empowerment programme, I plan to commission projects spread across Oyo Central Senatorial District.
“Looted materials included over 350 motorcycles, 400 deep freezers, 350 generators, grinding machines, sewing machines, hairdressing and barbing salon materials, vulcanising machines and many more.
“As a leader and people’s representative, I have never and will never take our people for granted. Let it be noted that at the peak of COVID-19 pandemic, I was the first political officer holder in Oyo State to support war against the deadly novel virus.
“On four occasions and on personal expenses, I did not only sponsor enlightenment programmes but also distributed palliatives to my constituents in Oyo Central Senatorial District.
“In fact, I extended my widow’s mite to thousands of our vulnerable citizens in Oyo South Senatorial district. Some weeks ago, I reached out to few private school teachers who were affected by economic hardships, occasioned by the pandemic.
“I sincerely commend the civil and professional conducts of security personnel drafted to my house. They were tactical in their operations as no harm was done to few people that were arrested with looted materials.
“For whatever that happened, I shall not be discouraged to continue to give excellent service delivery to the people of my district, Oyo State and Nigeria at large.
“I solemnly appreciate the supports and sympathies of media houses, prominent Nigerians in Oyo State and across Nigeria, traditional rulers, religious leaders, groups and chieftains of our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC)”.
Men of the Oyo State joint security task force, Operation Burst, have apprehended 7 persons in connection with the incidence.
