Fresh controversy has emerged ahead of the August 15 governorship election in Osun State, with the campaign organisation of Governor Ademola Adeleke accusing the police of planning a wave of politically motivated arrests, an allegation the Osun State Police Command has firmly denied.
The Imole Campaign Council, which is coordinating Adeleke’s re-election bid, claimed on Sunday that security operatives had drawn up a list of 46 individuals allegedly marked for arrest in the run-up to the election.
Addressing journalists in Osogbo, the Deputy Director-General of the campaign council, Kolapo Alimi, alleged that most of those targeted were political figures and supporters from Ikire, the headquarters of Irewole Local Government Area.
According to Alimi, the list allegedly includes the Osun State Commissioner for Energy, Ademola Adeyemo, as well as several political leaders associated with the Accord Party and other opposition figures in the area.
He also alleged that an Accord Party chieftain in Ikire, Taofeek Akinyemi, was arrested and detained after reporting to the police that he had been attacked and shot by suspected hoodlums.
Alimi further accused an operative of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) of collaborating with political opponents to facilitate the arrest of Accord Party members as part of an alleged effort to weaken the party’s campaign activities before the election.
He said: “Even more alarming are the credible security reports reaching the leadership of the Imole Campaign Council regarding a coordinated ‘hit list’ drawn up by political opponents in collusion with compromised security operatives.
“Several leaders of the Accord Party and prominent opposition figures have been ‘penned down’ for systematic, unlawful arrests in the days leading up to the election.
“Specifically, we have confirmed information that the following individuals (46 in number) have been marked for arbitrary arrest, harassment, and forcible transfer to Abuja to keep them out of circulation during the election.”
Among those he identified as allegedly being on the list were Ademola Adeyemo, Idris Idowu Jooda, Pastor Paul Akinola, Mukaila Yusuf, Dr Kazeem Atoba, Yesiru Olaniyi, Alhaji Olokeola, Wale Olunloye, Taye Adeyemo, Moshood Jolaiya, Lere Ogungbade, Kola Akinpelu, Tiri Adepoju and Pastor Femi Oladiran, alongside several others.
The campaign council demanded the immediate release of Akinyemi or, alternatively, that he be charged before a competent court if there was evidence against him.
Alimi also appealed to the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, to intervene by directing the Osun State Police Command, the State Criminal Investigation Department and special tactical units deployed from Abuja to halt what he described as arbitrary arrests and intimidation of opposition politicians.
He further urged the Force Headquarters to ensure that security personnel deployed for the governorship election are professional, neutral and impartial.
However, the Osun State Police Command dismissed the allegations, insisting that its operations are aimed solely at combating crime and ensuring a peaceful electoral environment.
Responding to the claims, the Police Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Ojelabi, said the command had not drawn up any list of politicians for arrest and would continue routine operations against criminal hideouts across the state.
According to him: “We are raiding black spots and criminal hideouts every day to sanitise the environment for the forthcoming election, and this raid is not targeted at any individual, group of persons or political party.
“It is targeted at criminal hideouts. We don’t have any list anywhere; the police do not formulate any list.
“We are only working with criminal records that we have and constantly raiding black spots and criminal hideouts. We have advised parents to warn their children to avoid late-night movements and to avoid associating with those who have criminal records. There is no way they will not implicate them.
“The government has also promised to set up a joint task force, and that would have helped a lot, so it won’t be the police alone. But since then, we have not seen anything from them. Maybe it will come up tomorrow, so it won’t appear that the police are acting alone or have some people in mind.”
The exchange comes amid heightened political activities ahead of the Osun governorship poll, with stakeholders calling for a peaceful, transparent and credible election free from intimidation and abuse of state institutions.
(Ripples)