TheCable

Funmilayo Tejuosho, three-time lawmaker and former deputy speaker of the Lagos state house of assembly, was humiliated by thugs at the rally of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Mushin, Lagos, on Monday.

The representative of Mushin constituency 1, who is seeking a fourth term in the legislative chamber, got more than she bargained for at the venue of the rally, which held at the Olorunsogo axis of the Agege motor road.

Despite the presence of security personnel, the woman, who is married to one of the sons of Adedapo Tejuosho, a highly revered monarch in Egba kingdom in Abeokuta, got brutalised.

As if planned, the thugs pounced on her immediately Babatunde Fashola, the governor of the state, and Akinwunmi Ambode, the gubernatorial candidate of the party, departed the venue.

Not even the release of gunshots into the air by the policemen scared away the hoodlums, who were in possession of weapons that could match that of the police.

Although her private guards managed to smuggle her away, the mob trailed her to her vehicle to continue with the assault.

At the rally

A resident of the area who did not want to be named told TheCable that the politician had fallen out with the people of her constituency for years.

“If this woman had known, she wouldn’t have come here today,” he said.

“They have been looking for the opportunity to attack her for long. People around here are opposed to her bid to return to the house because she has not performed well and she has even offended so many people.

“Some say rather than represent them well, she spends money on the gang that she uses to witch hunt her opponents. Can you imagine even women joining to beat her?

“She can never forget this experience in her lifetime. I swear she cannot.”

Another resident who witnessed the incident said the lawmaker sustained serious injuries when her earrings were forcefully pulled off her ears.

She was eventually rescued by a combined team of security operatives.

When contacted Kenneth Nwosu, the police public relations officer in the state, DSP said he was unaware of the incident but said there was adequate deployment of policemen to the rally.

Nwosu advised politicians to urge their supporters to shun violence, adding that the police was fully prepared to provide security for the forthcoming election.

“I would have to get back to you on that, because as we speak now, that rally in Mushin has been concluded and we deployed enough men there,” he said.

“We have called on Lagosians, politicians in particular, to warn their supporters to eschew violence because violence is an ill-wind that blows nobody no good.”

There has been break down of law and order at other campaign locations in the state.

Last week residents of Egbeda in Alimosho local government area had to run for cover when thugs started exchanging gunfire in broad daylight.

But for the timely intervention of Agege residents, a woman who was hit by a stray bullet during a political rally would have died.

Ebutte Metta, Agbado, Oke Odo, Oworonshoki, are other areas where incidents of violence have been recorded during political campaigns.