The police in Ogun State have arrested seven persons accused of defacing the portrait of President Goodluck Jonathan, hanged on the wall of the Labour Party secretariat in Abeokuta, the state capital.
The suspects were also alleged to have masterminded the breaking in to the LP secretariat, located in the Adatan area of Abeokuta on Saturday.
The state LP secretary, Sunday Ogini, had alleged that the burglars destroyed the President’s portrait.
Our correspondent however learnt that the suspects, who had been moved from the Adatan police station to the state police command headquarters at Eleweran, were mainly members of another faction of the LP.
The arrested suspects have been identified as Ismail Odejimi, Asade Adewale, Nurudeen Ayomatokunje, Nuru Olaleye, Soji Adegbola, Micheal Ranti Adegbola and John Olaleye.
The Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, confirmed the arrest.
Adejobi, a deputy superintendent of police, said that the matter was already being handled by the state Criminal Investigation Department.
He assured that the command would widen its investigation beyond the allegation that the suspects perpetrated the act.
“We are going to do our investigation. The Commissioner of Police, Ikemefuna Okoye, has directed that the matter should be transferred to the state CID. It is the case for the CID,” the PPRO said.