No fewer than one woman was injured, and vehicles were reportedly vandalised on Wednesday after suspected hoodlums attacked supporters of the Accord Party during a political procession in Molete, Ibadan, Oyo State.
The incident occurred around 1pm near Molete Under Bridge in Ibadan South-West Local Government Area (LGA), causing panic among traders, residents and passers-by.
The procession was organised to welcome the party’s governorship candidate, Oriyomi Hamzat, who reportedly returned to Nigeria from the United Kingdom late on Tuesday.
An eyewitness said trouble started when members of the campaign team attempted to paste posters in the area, prompting suspected hoodlums to attack them with stones and bottles while allegedly brandishing cutlasses.
Vehicles in the campaign convoy and those belonging to passers-by were reportedly vandalised, while some supporters sustained injuries.
The spokesperson for Hamzat, Samuel Ibikunle, popularly known as Arugbo Boiz, said the procession began at the Boode area before the team encountered trouble at Molete.
Ibikunle alleged that the attackers threw stones and bottles at party members in an attempt to intimidate them. He said the supporters continued with the procession despite the alleged provocation.
He added that a woman sustained injuries during the incident and was taken to an undisclosed hospital for treatment.
According to him, the party reported the incident to the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, who deployed additional security personnel to the area.
The police spokesperson, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, confirmed awareness of the incident, although further details were not immediately available.
Security personnel, including members of Operation Burst, were reportedly deployed to restore calm and prevent further violence.
An eyewitness also said Hamzat and security operatives intervened to stop supporters from retaliating against the alleged attackers.
Despite the incident, some Accord supporters insisted that the attack would not deter them from backing their candidate.
Ibikunle said the procession would continue towards its planned endpoint at Mapo, despite the disruption.
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