Police in Ogun State yesterday arrested and detained the Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Hon. Oludare Kadiri, for allegedly leading suspected hoodlums to invade the residence of Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Tokunbo Talabi, in Oru-Ijebu, Ijebu North Local Government Area of the State. Kadiri is currently being held at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) at the Police headquarters, Eleweran, Abeokuta.
The Deputy Speaker was alleged to have led thugs to invade and vandalise the SSG’s residence in Oru-Ijebu and that of a former state legislator, Hon. Adebiyi Odugbesan. Kadiri was said to have accused the SSG and Adegbesan of hoarding the registration materials for the ongoing All Progressives Congress (APC) registration and revalidation exercise in the State. Meanwhile, 20 lawmakers in the assembly have called for the impeachment of Kadiri as deputy speaker for alleged gross misconduct.
The lawmakers in a letter, dated Tuesday, February 23 which they jointly signed and addressed to the clerk of the house, accused Kadiri of alleged “abuse of office, threat to lives and properties, conduct likely to cause breach of peace and attempted murder, committed in his constituency as petitioned by Chief Adebiyi Odugbesan from his constituency.”
They urged the house to commence the process of removing Kadiri from office as the deputy speaker with immediate effect. The Police Public’s Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Command, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, confirmed Kadiri’s arrest, saying he is currently being investigated. Oyeyemi said: “Some people reported him (Kadiri) to the police, accusing him of leading thugs to the house of a former lawmaker where they attacked him and vandalised his house. “Another person also reported that he led thugs to the residence of the SSG and also vandalised the SSG’s house. “A Supervisory Councilor in his local government also reported that, he (Kadiri) forcibly seized the registration materials and when the police went there to recover the materials, this same man led about 20 men and assaulted the Supervisory Councilor in the presence of the police and also held the policemen hostage for almost two hours.
