Following the attack on the Osun state Commissioner for Regional Integration, Bola Ilori, last week by some suspected thugs in Ondo state, the state government said scores of fans and officials of the state owned Football Club, Sunshine Stars were injured on Saturday in Ijebu Ode,Ogun state during the return leg of the Confederation Cup, by supporters of the Osun United football Club.
Speaking during a Press conference in Akure, Ondo state capital, the Commissioner for youth and sport in the state, Hon. Saka Yusuf Ogunleye, said the attack on the state football Club had been hatched before the last Saturday match
Ogunleye explained that the Osun state football team supporters arrived at the venue of the match with over 40 buses and threatening the players, officials and supporters of the Sunshine stars football Club before the commencement of the match.
According to him, “the first half ended in a barren draw but when we resumed for the second half, Sunshine stars outscored the Osun United with three goals to one, which made the aggregate to stands at three goals to two, having defeated Sunshine earlier on Wednesday by a lone goal.
“But some few minutes before the end of the match, the Osun United supporters invaded the field, beating and harassing both the match officials and players and it took the intervention of the security operatives at the stadium to guard them out of the stadium.
“Most of the supporters, officials and fans were not so lucky as they were injured, matchetted, by the angry supporters from Osun who seemed prepared for the onslaught, saying the media Officer of the Sunshine stars, Chris Okunnua, was not spare in the beating.”
Yusuf said most of the injured were rushed to the hospital and treated while those with critical injury were admitted at the hospital in Ijebu Ode.
The Commissioner who linked the attack to a reprisal on Ilori urged politicians not to transfer the hostilities in politics to sports, urging well meaning Nigerians to wade into the matter before it escalates to political fight between the two state.
He said “we love peace in Ondo state and will always embrace peace, we see the people of Osun state as part of us and politics should not divide us. They knew why they came in buses but we believe football is not war but a game.
It will be recalled that Ilori, was molested and beaten by suspected thugs at the venue of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Committee on restructuring last Thursday.
Ilori was saved by some of his aides who were with him as the thugs struggled to removed his Jean trouser, after tearing his shirt and underwear, while the suspected thugs said Ilori “should be whisked out of the venue because he is not a member of APC in the state, alleging that he worked for Alliance for Democracy in the last governorship election in the state.
He was rushed back to the venue of the programme almost naked while one of the boys around from Ondo state offered his shirt while the programme was halted by delegates from Osun state.
Bola Ilori pointed accusing finger to the State Secretary to the State Government, (SSG) Hon. Ifedayo Abegunde, saying the state SSG was behind his ordeal but the state deputy governor, Agboola Ajayi tried to douse the tension.
Ilori traced the genesis of the crisis to the last governorship election in the state which produced Rotimi Akeredolu as the governor where he worked for another candidate and said ” I don’t know what called for this attack. I was on my way out after Osun presentation at the venue of the event when some boys loyal to “Abena” (Abegunde) descended on me. I am sure they are his boys and I am very sure of this fact.”
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