Saraki stoned in Ilorin

Senate President Bukola Saraki and some politicians were stoned at the Eid praying ground in Ilorin, Kwara State yesterday.

Though his media team denied this, the situation prevented the chief imam from delivering his annual sermon while the emir also could not deliver his Sallah message.

Daily Trust gathered from some worshippers that the attack was as a result of unpaid workers’ salaries by the state government.

The protesters were angry that the government did not pay workers before the Sallah.

A video footage of the attack showed many protesters shouting “Ole! ole!”, (meaning: “thief! thief !”), hurling stones and sachets of water.

The state police spokesman, Ajayi Okasanmi, confirmed the attack, even as he said 2, 000 policemen were deployed across the state to maintain law and order during the Eid prayers. Okasanmi who said the situation was promptly brought under control, said it was too early to say the motive as there was no civil servant or government official among the eight people suspected to be hoodlums so far arrested.

The police spokesman said they attempted to break through a security barrier at the expansive praying ground.

Dr Muideen Akorede, the governor’s media assistant, however, said the attack was not targeted at Saraki and Gov. Abdulfatah Ahmed but was carried out by miscreants who wanted to extort money from Saraki. Several vehicles were damaged. The state government condemned the attack in a statement issued by the chief press secretary to the governor, Abdulwahaab Oba.

Oba said the government had secured bank loans to offset workers’ salaries pending when the federal government bailout would be released as a result of which some workers had received their salaries as directed by the governor while those yet to receive theirs would do so by Monday.

“Government therefore wonders for what purpose and to whom the attack was directed”, he said.

Meanwhile, the Senate President has denied being attacked. A statement from his media office said he arrived at the Eid ground without any incident and prayed with other Muslim faithful.

“We want to say that nothing can be further from the truth as the Senate President was never attacked nor was there any attempt made on his life to warrant him being ‘whisked away’ as reported. We however observed that there was a protest allegedly staged by local government employees over purported non-payment of salaries which hoodlums attempted to hijack”, the statement said.