Osun State Government has described the attack on Governor Adegboyega Oyetola in Osogbo by armed hoodlums as an assassination attempt.

Governor Oyetola had narrowly escaped on Saturday when he was attacked by armed thugs while addressing the #EndSARS protesters in Osogbo.

Armed with cutlasses and sticks the hoodlums swooped in on the governor at Olaiya junction, while he was addressing the #EndSARS protesters in the state capital.

The governor was immediately ferried away from the scene by his security details but vehicles in his convoy were damaged as the hoodlums threw stones at the governor’s convoy.

Speaking on the incident, the Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Mrs Funke Egbemode, who was also at the scene of the incident, said the attack was beyond the #EndSARS protest, but a premeditated attempt to take the governor out.

The Commissioner said: “It was an assassination attempt. This was certainly beyond the #EndSARS protest. The people who launched the attack were not protesters at all.

“Protests have been going on in the state for some days now, and there had been no attack on any government official since the beginning of the protest.

“However, today’s attack changed the narrative. It was not a spontaneous attempt. The attackers had it all planned. They had guns and other weapons. In fact, it was a woman who smashed the windscreen of the vehicle of the Secretary to the State Government, Prince Wole Oyebamiji where I was.

“It is really sad that these people infiltrated the ranks of the peaceful protesters and took advantage of the Governor’s walk with the youths to execute their sinister intentions.

“It was simply a street coup to take out the Governor, his Deputy and the Secretary to the State Government, all of whom were exposed during the protest and had to be smuggled into vehicles when the attack was launched.” (THISDAY)