Protesters who had laid siege on the Ondo House of Assembly since Wednesday over the 2017 budget presentation, yesterday attacked the convoy of Governor Olusegun Mimiko in error.
The protesters, on hearing the siren of the pilot car rushed out thinking the governor was taking the impeached speaker, Jumoke Akindele, to the assembly to present the budget
A source who witnessed the incident and spoke on terms of anonymity, said Governor Mimiko was scheduled to inaugurate a mega school at Ore, headquarters of Odigbo Local Government, where the daughter of late Obafemi Awolowo, Dr. Tokunbo Awolowo-Dosunmu, was a special guest.
He recounted that the governor led the guest to inspect the state event centre, “The Dome,” in preparation for its official inauguration later this month.
“The daughter of late Pa Awolowo, Dr. Tokunbo Awolowo-Dosunmu was in the state as a special guest of honour at the commissioning of Our Saviour’s Anglican Caring Heart Mega Primary School, Odigbo.
“The Governor took her in his car to visit The Dome. To get to the Dome, one would need to make a U-turn at the Ministry of Women Affairs; the same road leading to the Assembly complex.
“In making this U -turn, some people who had been on ground there must have thought the governor was going to the Assembly, so, they came out attempting to attack the governor’s convoy.
“They mistook Dosunmu Awolowo for Jumoke Akindele. As at the time we left the complex, there was no gunshot,” he said. Another eyewitness narrated that “all other vehicles in the convoy had gone but the ambulance was affected.”
He added that though the governor saw all that happened, he gave instructions that the protesters should be left alone even as they blocked the entrance on his way out of The Dome.
He noted that the protesters ran away when security men in the convoy came down to clear the way, refuting the report that the Commissioner of Police, Mrs. Hilda Ibifuro-Harrison ordered her men to shoot at sight.