Osun guber: Police raids targeting senior officials — State govt
Osun State officials have accused the Nigeria Police of conducting coordinated raids on the homes of senior government officials, asserting that these actions constitute intimidation ahead of the upcoming governorship election.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Kolapo Alimi, the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, alleged that police operations targeted the residence of Secretary to the State Government Teslim Igbalaye. During this operation, police reportedly arrested individuals attending a political meeting.
According to the government, Igbalaye was attending an Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) stakeholders’ forum elsewhere in Osogbo when police entered his residence, where local ward officials were convened.
Alimi stated that the raid was executed by a team led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, and claimed that some family members of Igbalaye were also taken during the incident.
“The SSG’s residence was burst by a combined team of police officers led by the Deputy Commissioner for Operations, with family members of the SSG taken to unknown destinations,” the statement read.
The government further contended that this raid is part of a broader pattern of intimidation targeting members of the administration. It noted that residences of approximately six commissioners and other senior officials had also been searched by police in recent days.
On Tuesday, the residence of the Commissioner for Energy, Festus Adeyemo, in Ikire was reportedly raided, with claims that officers searched the premises and caused property damage.
“There have been reports from several other commissioners of surveillance around their homes, with some residences entered despite no unlawful activities observed,” the government added.
The statement alleged that some members of the Accord Party have been detained at the Criminal Investigation Department of the Osun State Police Command without being granted bail, following these recent security operations.
Describing the situation as an attack on democratic institutions, the government asserted, “These raids on the SSG and our commissioners are an aggravated assault on the government and people of Osun State. This campaign of repression poses a grave danger to democracy.”
They further accused the Osun State Police Command of partisanship, claiming that the agency has become a “direct tool in the hands of Osun APC,” undermining constitutional principles.
The government expressed concern that the timing of these operations, coinciding with a visit by the INEC Chairman for election-related discussions, could diminish public confidence in the electoral process.
In light of these developments, the government has appealed to the Inspector-General of Police, the Nigeria Police Service, the National Security Adviser, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and traditional leaders for intervention, urging a cessation of what it termed targeted actions against government officials and Accord Party members.
“Our governor has consistently called for calm and urged the public not to take the law into their own hands. The situation is reaching a boiling point, and we must protect our democracy from these lawless elements within the Nigerian police,” the statement continued.
The government’s remarks followed an earlier announcement from the Osun State Police Command confirming the arrest of multiple suspects, including Igbalaye, during an operation related to an investigation into alleged vote buying in Osogbo. This information was communicated by the command’s spokesperson, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gotan.
