Osun killings: Adeleke accuses police of partisanship, demands redeployment of CP

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has called for an end to violent crimes in the state, insisting that suspected political thugs must be arrested and prosecuted.

A statement signed by the governor’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, and obtained in Osogbo on Friday, said Adeleke made the call while receiving the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of the ICT Department, Force Headquarters, Abuja, Adegoke Fayoade, who paid him a visit at the Government House in Osogbo.

Also in the DIG’s entourage were the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone XI Headquarters, Osogbo, Akinyele Fasuba, and the Osun State Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gotan.

Adeleke, who further stated that violence must not only stop but that perpetrators must be identified and prosecuted, added, “You are in this state at a time negligence and partisanship of some of your officers have worsened political violence in the state.

“You visit us at a time some policemen are openly known to be collaborating with political thugs to unleash violence on our people. Your official entrance comes at a time when we have recorded three unresolved political murders in the last few weeks, namely Eluyera at Ikire, Ezekiel at Ilobu and Aderogba at Esa Oke. There has been no single arrest.

“In Osun today, political thugs drove round the town, shooting sporadically, attacking innocent residents. They destroyed Accord billboards. Yet, the police command looks the other way. Even when the suspects are well known, there have been no single arrests. Only in Osun state do we have police operatives eager to arrest Accord members on the most minor of grounds but has yet to arrest a single suspect in a series of murders and gun attacks.”

He said the Commissioner of Police had demonstrated a lack of willingness and capacity to act fairly and without partisan bias, insisting that Gotan should be redeployed.

“We task you to convey our position to the police leadership of which you are an integral part. Osun people want free and fair polls. Our people seek a peaceful environment to cast their votes. We need the reshuffling of the state police command to secure impartial policing.

“I have listened to the message from the IGP. We wait to see the outcome of these interventions. We count on you to stop the spate of killings. Your state police commissioner has failed us,” the governor said.

Earlier, Fayoade said the Osun CP and his men had been instructed not to allow any act of brigandage in the state, noting that the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, had also directed the AIG and the CP to take charge and ensure an end to violence in the state.

Fayoade said, “I have also directed the AIG and the Commissioner of Police on the order of the IG, that any act of murder or brigandage or any unlawful act perpetrated in the state must be fully investigated. Anybody found culpable should be arrested and prosecuted.

“I want to assure you that the Osun State forthcoming elections will be conducted under a very peaceful atmosphere. We can recall the last election in Anambra, just last Saturday Ekiti election was conducted under a very peaceful atmosphere and we don’t want anything different from that in Osun State. That is the standard that has been set and that is the standard we are going to follow.

“Your Excellency, I am assuring you that the police will live up to the expectation. The police commissioner and his men will perform their duties in line with the constitution and in line with the rule of law. We are not going to allow anybody to violate the law of the land and cause any havoc or any uneasiness in the state.”