The Ondo State Police Command has said it is investigating reports of violent attacks on the candidate of the Social Democratic Party for the House of Assembly elections (Akure South constituency II), Ebenezer Adeniyan, during his campaign outing in Akure on Friday.

Suspected political thugs, who were armed and masked, reportedly disrupted the campaign of Mr Adeniyan with gunshots, causing panic as people scampered for safety.

They also damaged vehicles used for the campaigns.

There have been series of skirmishes in the state ahead of the assembly elections coming up on Saturday.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Femi Joseph, told PREMIUM TIMES on Saturday that the Commissioner of Police had ordered a full investigation into the matter.

“We are aware of the attack and the Commissioner of Police has ordered a full scale investigation into the matter and the perpetrators would be brought to justice,” Mr Joseph said.

He noted that without reducing the seriousness of the matter, the candidate of the SDP failed to inform the police of his outing for which security would have been provided.

He said party candidates have their constitutional rights to go about their campaigns without informing the police, but to avoid situations like the one reported, the police should be informed so that adequate security could be provided.

Mr Adeniyan is also the publisher of Trace News Magazine, an Akure-based news medium.

He told journalists that he was shocked and grieved by the extent of damage done to his campaign vehicles by the hoodlums, adding that the incident had been reported at the B- Division Station of the Ondo State Police Command in Akure.

According to him, the latest attack on his campaign was carried out by members of opposition who are already being threatened by his rising popularity in the constituents.

“I was shocked to say the least and there have been lot of attacks on my campaign for weeks since we start this electioneering process,’ he said.

“Our banners are being stolen every day and posters torn everywhere in the Akure metropolis.”

He urged the police in the state to investigate the attack and bring the perpetrators to justice.