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Demands IGP’s Withdrawal of Police Officers Deployed to Councils
- Safiu Kehinde
Osun state lawmaker, Bamidele Salam, has condemned the harassment and detention of a council worker, Taiwo Adebayo, who was arrested at the Egbedore Local Government Area of state.
Bamidele, a House of Representatives member representing Ede North, Ede South, Egbedore and Ejigbo Federal Constituency, expressed his displeasure over the public humiliation of Adebayo in series of pictures and videos shared on social media on Monday.
As contained in a statement shared on his Facebook handle, the lawmaker slammed the Nigerian Police Force involvement in the incident which he described as shameful, despicable, and a gross violation of the Constitution.
He disclosed Adebayo resumed to the council on Monday following the directive of the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) which declared resumption of all its members to their respective councils across the state after 11-month strke.
The council worker would however be arrested and forced to kneel as he was interrogated by the sacked All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman of the council, Issa Akinwale.
“I just watched a viral video and many photographs of Mr. Taiwo Adebayo, a local government worker in Egbedore Local Government of Osun State being humiliated by some politicians in the presence of the Divisional police officer of the local government, Mrs. Tawakalitu Ogunniyi and some of her personnel.
“I have made findings on the facts of the matter and confirmed that Mr Adebayo, an Admin staff of the Local Government was on lawful duty upon a directive by the NULGE for resumption of work after an 11-month strike.
“Mr Adebayo was in possession of files relating to the retirement process of some local government staff who would soon be exiting service and needed to process their papers for payment of necessary benefits.
:Mr Adebayo acted with the instructions of his superior and was not in any way on an illegal assignment.
“The politician who was seen in the video supervising the false detention interrogation and humiliation of the local government staff, is Mr Issa Akinwale, a man who had been sacked from the office of the Chairman of the local government by a judgement of the Federal High Court and the court of Appeal but who has like his other colleagues been occupying the council secretariat with active connivance of the police force.” He said.
Bamidele accused certain politicians, allegedly acting with police backing, of abusing power and undermining the rule of law within local government administration in the state.
He called for immediate corrective action by the Inspector General of police, Mr Kayode Egbetokun, including the withdrawal of officers from what he described as illegal duties in Osun State local government secretariats.
“The dehumanising treatment of citizen Adebayo by the politician in the presence of law enforcement agents supervised by the Divisional Police officer in Egbedore Local Government of Osun State is despicable, condemnable and outrightly unconstitutional.
“I call for the immediate release of the staff as well the offering of due apologies to him by the Nigeria police force.
“I also call for an immediate cessation of the ongoing illegal, unlawful capture of local government administration in Osun state by politicians from the All Progressive Congress (APC) who are being backed in the usurpation of power and contempt of court by the Nigeria Police Force.
“I call on the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Kayode Egbetokun to uphold the rule of law by withdrawing his men from their current illegal duties in the local government secretariats of Osun State,” the lawmaker said.
Bamidele warned that continued police involvement in partisan political activities at the local government level poses a serious threat to democracy, judicial authority, and citizens’ rights.
He insisted that security agencies must remain neutral and uphold court judgments rather than aid their violation.
