TheCable

Masked security operatives stormed Suitorial Hotels (pictured), Lokoja, Kogi state capital, where Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo state, lodged ahead of Saturday’s election.

Makinde is the chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) campaign council for the governorship election.

According to Taiwo Adisa, the governor’s spokesman, Makinde and members of his campaign team were inside the hotel when masked security operatives attempted forcing their way in around 12 mid-day.

He said they shot sporadically into the air and the security operatives attached to the governor responded swiftly.

“Some of the hooded security operatives scaled the fence of the Hotel and attempted to gain entrance into the main Hotel,” Adisa quoted a witnesses as saying.

Adisa said the hooded policemen came in about 100 vehicles.

He quoted another witness as saying: “They came fully armed and hooded. Some of them scaled the fence of the Hotel and made to enter the Hotel proper. But pandemonium ensued, as there was commotion between security operatives attached to the Governor and the invaders.

“However, some residents in the neighbourhood of the Hotel soon mobilised and joined the Governor’s security to resist the invaders.”

When TheCable visited the hotel on Friday afternoon, some staff who spoke off the record, confirmed that policemen came to the hotel.

They said the officers wanted to search the facility but they were not allowed to do so because they could not provide any search warrant.

The hotel officials also said only 20 policemen came into the facility, denying that there were gunshots.

“There was no shooting or any form of violence as claimed,” the official said.

TheCable gathered that Makinde left the hotel shortly after the incident.