The governor of Osun state Ademola Adeleke, has said that over 60 Accord Party leaders were transferred to prisons in Abuja and Nasarawa despite the availability of federal courts and correctional facilities in the state.
Adeleke spoke on Thursday during the peace summit convened by political leaders in Osogbo ahead of the governorship election in the state on August 15.
According to a statement posted on his X page, the governor expressed displeasure that government officials and his supporters have been “under siege and attacks for the past three months”.
Adeleke, who said he should have boycotted the peace meeting due to the prevailing violence, accused Gboyega Oyetola, his predecessor and minister of marine and blue economy, of masterminding the attacks in the state.
“I should have boycotted this peace meeting because of the violence unleashed on Osun State in the last few months, on the directive of Gboyega Oyetola,” he said.
“However, my presence is due to my very deep respect for our peace leaders here.
“Our gathering is to endorse peace but my government and people are facing police-sanctioned violence and intimidation.”
Adeleke alleged that the attacks against his supporters by opposition elements have been “openly supported by the Osun state police Command”.
“The SSG to the State Government was arrested on trumped up charges and was detained overnight after his house was raided without any court authorised search warrant,” he said.
“Top government officials are being harassed and intimidated. More than 60 Accord leaders have been arrested and moved to Abuja, and remanded in Abuja prisons and Nasarawa State prisons, including an Accord candidate for House of Representatives, Hon Alaba.
“Why Abuja? We have both the Federal High Court and State High Courts in Osun State, where anyone can be arraigned.”
While urging the peace leaders to help stop the “progression towards genocide against the Osun people”, the governor said his camp has lost eight party members in the ensuing violence.
“In the last three months, we have lost eight party members with more than 20 injured in gun attacks,” he said.
“There is no single prosecution or active arrest till date. The perpetrators are known Osun APC thugs with crimes committed in the presence of the police. Video evidence is everywhere on the internet.”
Adeleke argued that the police are expected to uphold the rule of law under a democratic system.
“Under which law can a state police commissioner take instructions from Mr Gboyega Oyetola to arrest Accord Party members in Osun State and move them to Abuja and be held in prisons without any charge?” he queried.
The governor urged the peace committee to prevail on Tunji Disu, inspector-general of police, to return everyone in police custody.
“Those remanded in prisons should be returned to Osun State, and be charged to courts in Osun State, if the police can show that they have committed any crime,” he said.
Adeleke also called on President Bola Tinubu to caution the minister and the commissioner of police in Osun against “unleashing further violence on the people”.
“We seek an immediate end to police unholy alliance with APC thugs and Osun APC,” he said.
“We call on the police authorities to emulate other security agencies which have been very professional. Police must be impartial like other security agencies.
“We seek free and fair polls where peoples’ will should be supreme. Our people will severely resist rigging in all forms.”
He further declared the readiness of his supporters for the election, saying “Osun people are ready to vote. Our request is for impartial policing, a fair and just electoral commission and supremacy of voters’ will at the polls.”
The governor’s remark follows the arrest and detention of Teslim Igbalaye, secretary to the Osun state government (SSG), and five others by operatives of the state police command over alleged vote-buying.
Igbalaye was detained on Wednesday night alongside five others after the police raided his private residence in Osogbo.
In a statement, Abiodun Ojelabi, police spokesperson in Osun, said N4.8 million and other electoral materials were recovered from a residence linked to the SSG.
The development comes amid heightened political tension ahead of the state’s governorship election scheduled for August 15.
