By Ajani Okanlawon
In spite of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, Senate President, Bukola Saraki, Thursday denied that he was attacked at the Ilorin Muslim praying ground.
Video and audio clips circulating online however show that stones and sachet water were thrown at the convoy of the embattled former Governor of Kwara State.
The situation also prevented the Chief Imam from delivering his annual sermon just as the emir also abandoned his Sallah message.
Expectedly, Saraki denies the attack.
A statement from his aides reads: “The attention of the Media Office of the Senate President has been drawn to media reports that the Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, was allegedly attacked at the Eid Prayer Ground during the prayers to mark the Eid-el-Kabir in Ilorin.
“The Senate President arrived at the venue this morning without any incident, prayed with other Muslim faithful, including the Emir of Ilorin, His Royal Highness (HRH), Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu Gambari, Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Ali Ahmad and a former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Alfa Belgore, among others.
“Before the Senate President left the prayer ground, he spoke to reporters who had asked him about his message for Nigerians to mark the Eid-el-Kabir.
“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 by a section of the media.
“We however observe that there was a protest allegedly staged by local government employees over purported non-payment of salaries which hoodlums attempted to hijack but this development was immediately curtailed by security agents.
“Therefore, to say that the Senate President was attacked at the venue of the prayers is totally false and a figment of the imagination of those behind the story because the protest was never targeted at him, neither was any missile hurled at him.”
NAN reports that security operatives who accompanied the Senate President to the praying ground, had to throw tear gas and fire several shots, which sent worshippers running helter-skelter for safety while one of the emir’s horsemen was injured in the melee.
The Public Relations Officer of the Kwara Police Command, Mr Ajayi Okasanmi, who spoke with newsmen immediately after the prayer, confirmed the attack on Saraki.
He said the action was sparked by some miscreants who were looking for Sallah gift from the Senate President.
According to him, those behind the attack would be identified by Monday as arrests have been made in connection with the attack.
Okasanmi said the situation was promptly brought under control and the prayer resumed.
He said that a total of 2, 000 policemen and women were deployed across the state to keep law and order during the Eid prayers.
Meanwhile, Dr Muideen Akorede, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media and Communication, however, said the attack was not targeted at the Senate President and Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed.
Akorede, who corroborated the PPRO’s view, said the attack was carried out by miscreants who wanted to extort money from Saraki.
The Senate President is currently facing 13 counts of corruption charges at the Code of Conduct Tribunal in Abuja.
He was docked on Tuesday, after attempts by his lawyers to halt the trial collapsed.
