Nearly two decades after the violent clash that shook Osun State politics, one of the men involved in an assassination attempt on former Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, has publicly sought his forgiveness.
Aregbesola, in a Facebook post, revealed that Sikiru Olaboye, who was part of the 2006 attack against him, visited him earlier in the day to seek pardon. The former minister recalled that Olaboye had first made his plea during a recent call-in program on a local Osogbo radio station. …CONTINUE READING
“Earlier today, I received Sikiru Olaboye, one of the men who attempted to assassinate me during the 2006 Oroki Day Celebration in Osogbo,” Aregbesola wrote.
He assured Olaboye of his forgiveness, stating that he had never harbored resentment or sought revenge for the attack that nearly claimed his life.
“While praying for him, I assured him that I hold no grudges against him or anyone else involved. It is God alone who has the power to forgive all our shortcomings. As His servants, I pray that He forgives both his and mine, Aamen!” he added.
The 2006 Oroki Day Celebration in Osogbo turned violent amid the intense political rivalry between then-Governor Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Aregbesola, who was then Lagos State Commissioner for Works and a gubernatorial aspirant in Osun State. The event descended into chaos as supporters of both camps clashed, resulting in gunfire, multiple injuries, and damage to vehicles.
At least 10 people were wounded in the fracas, and six vehicles were severely damaged. Aregbesola and his team narrowly escaped harm in what was described as an assassination attempt at the time.
With Olaboye now stepping forward after 18 years to seek reconciliation, Aregbesola’s gesture of forgiveness underscores a message of peace and healing.
