2 days Ago By NewsDirect
Gunmen on Monday, April 28, 2025, stormed a residence in Oyo State where Mrs. Abiola Folasade Olotu, a prominent grassroots leader and staunch supporter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had previously taken refuge.The attack is a fresh escalation of politically motivated attacks linked to the 2023 elections in the state.
The attackers, according to eyewitness accounts, specifically asked after Mrs Olotu, apparently unaware that she had already fled Nigeria to the United States for her safety.A resident of the house, Mrs Aina Olubukola, confirmed that Mrs Olotu and her family had stayed with her earlier in January 2023, following an initial attack.Mrs Olotu’s political ordeal began in January 2023 when she actively mobilised support for the PDP and Governor Seyi Makinde ahead of the general election.
With Oyo State becoming a major battleground, armed political thugs loyal to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) launched coordinated attacks against PDP supporters.Speaking to our correspondent by telephone, Mrs Olotu recounted how she narrowly escaped an earlier attempt on her life when thugs attacked her home, destroyed her campaign materials, and only spared her after she pleaded and paid them off.She said she became a prime target after APC insiders falsely portrayed her advocacy group as an opposition political front.
“By late January, I could no longer sleep in one place. I was constantly receiving strange calls threatening to kill me if I didn’t abandon my political activities,” she said, adding that memories of the assassination of Hon Temitope Olatoye in 2019 haunted her nights.The violence intensified after Peter Obi’s surprising victory over Bola Tinubu in Lagos during the February 25 presidential election.
In retaliation, according to Mrs Olotu, Tinubu’s allies unleashed thugs to attack PDP supporters in Lagos and Oyo States.“After that wave of violence, I realised I had no choice but to leave. I finalised plans to travel to the United States under an exchange programme, following urgent advice from my family and political associates,” she said.
Despite her departure, those who harboured her were not spared. Armed men attacked the residence of Mrs Aina Olubukola, aggressively searching for Mrs Olotu, underlining the continuing threat to her life.Describing the attacks as a painful reminder of the dangers faced by political activists in Nigeria, Mrs Olotu insisted that her work was motivated not by partisanship but by the pursuit of good governance.
“With the continuation of targeted attacks even after my exit, the fear for my life remains valid,” she said.Mrs Olotu said she had formally applied for asylum in the United States, seeking to rebuild her life away from the political violence that has engulfed her homelandThe post PDP Chieftain, Olotu’s residence attacked amid political tension appeared first on Nigerian NewsDirect..
