- Safiu Kehinde
Operatives of the Nigerian Police Force have allegedly raided the homes of the Secretary to the Osun State Government, Teslim Igbalaye, six serving commissioners under the Ademola Adeleke-led administration, and other top government officials.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Wednesday by the Osun Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi.
According to Alimi, Igbalaye’s residence was bursted by a combined team of police officers led by the Deputy Commissioner for Operations with family members of the SSG taken to unknown destinations.
This reportedly followed similar raid and arrest at the residences of about six commissioners and other top functionaries of the government.
One of the affected commissioners was the residence of the Commissioner for Energy, Festus Adeyemo, whose house at Ikire was allegedly ransacked with several properties destroyed by the police yesterday.
Meanwhile, as at the time the SSG house was invaded, Alimi said his ward officials were holding meeting within the compound while the Igbalaye himself was attending the stakeholders’ forum organised by the National Electoral Commission.
Following several raids and arrests, Alimi disclosed that reports at the disposal of the government indicated that several Accord members are languishing in CID cells at the State Command without being granted bail.
The commissioner labelled the raid as an aggravated assault on the government and the people of Osun state.
He accused the police of partisanship, alleging their support for the All Progressives Congress, APC.
“These raids on the SSG and our commissioners are an aggravated assault on the government and people of Osun state. This campaign of repression constitutes grave danger to democracy.
“It is a reprehensible unprofessional conduct by the police in support of the state APC.
“By openly launching attacks on Osun government officials, the state police command has again confirmed its partiality, its partisanship and its becoming a direct tool in the hands of Osun APC.
“This is a law enforcement agency becoming lawless and acting against the spirit and letters of the constitution.“ Alimi said.
The commissioner expressed concern over the police activities across the state ahead of the August 15 Governorship Election.
He labelled their actions as threat to the conduct of free and fair election as he called on the intervention of President Bola Tinubu; the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu; National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu; and traditional rulers in the state.
“These grave violations of the constitution and basic rights of the government and people of Osun state come as the national chairman of INEC is meeting stakeholders.
“The police have become a major threat to the conduct of free and fair election in Osun state.
“We again call the attention of our traditional rulers, the Nigeria Police Service, the Inspector General of Police, the National Security Adviser and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to this escalation of targeted violence against top government officials and Accord members in Osun state.
“This must be stopped before it escalate into general breakdown of law and order
“Our governor has consistently tasked the populace to calm down and not to take law into their own hands.
“The situation is reaching a boiling point. We must save our democracy from these lawless elements within the Nigerian police”, the commissioner wrote.
Meanwhile, NPO Reports contacted the Osun Police Command’s spokesperson, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, for confirmation of the raid.
Ojelabi said he is currently at stakeholders’ meeting hosted by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
He however assured that a statement will be released soon to address the alleged invasion of the Osun government officials’ residence.