Governor Gboyega Oyetola of Osun State has said that the attack he suffered at the EndSARS protest was an assassination attempt on his life.

Oyetola who was addressing the protesters had his convoy attacked by some thugs wielding dangerous weapons.

The governor, however, said that the EndSARS protesters are not responsible for the attack because their protest was hijacked by thugs.

He issued a statement on his official Twitter handle, saying:

“My dear Good People of the State of Osun, yesterday evening, political thugs & hoodlums made failed attempts on my life & those of my aides while identifying with our beloved youths who were engaging in legitimate protest against the alleged brutality of the now disbanded SARS.

“My entourage and I joined protesters from Alekuwodo area to Olaiya Junction chanting solidarity songs with them & encouraging them along the way. During the course of my address to the protesters to reiterate our cooperation & support, political thugs hijacked the exercise & hurled stones and dangerous weapons at us and vandalised several cars in my convoy. Preliminary investigation revealed that the commando style with which the assailants carried out their attack was deliberate & pre-planned.

“It was also evident that it was not the genuine protesters that carried out the violence. Preliminary investigation further revealed that no live bullet or cannister of teargas was fired at the rampaging political thugs. Therefore, no life was lost at the scene of the incident.

“I was evacuated to safety. Regrettably, two lives were reportedly lost yesterday. But none occcured during the attack on me. One of the said deaths which was caused by a lone motorcycle accident occurred around 12noon, long before I got to the protest ground.

“The second death was said to have occurred around Ayepe, about 5 kilometers away from Olaiya where we held the protest. We sympathise with the families of the diseased & pray to God to grant them the fortitude to bear the great losses.

“I have directed that the incidents be properly investigated with a view to ascertaining the causes of the deaths. By this week, we shall be setting up a Judicial Panel of Enquiry in line with the directive of @ProfOsinbajo to investigate all related cases of abuse & brutality by the disbanded SARS. This panel will also investigate yesterday’s attack. What happened on Saturday is objectionable, unacceptable and a blight to the Omoluabi ethos that the State of Osun stands for.”