The Osun State Government has alleged that the Inspector-General of Police created and deployed a special squad to target leaders of the Accord Party and top government officials ahead of the August 15 governorship election in the state.

The allegation was contained in a statement issued on Sunday by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi.

According to the statement, the government and leadership of the Accord Party claimed they received intelligence reports that the squad, allegedly led by CSP Moses Lahor, was being mobilised to carry out selective arrests of party leaders across the state.

The statement further alleged that the operation was not intended for lawful investigation or prosecution but was allegedly aimed at eliminating opposition figures.

The government also accused the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, of providing logistics support for the alleged operation.

It claimed the APC candidate supplied two Toyota 18-seater buses and a Sienna vehicle to aid the activities of the squad.

The statement added that the alleged operation was being planned without the knowledge of the Osun State Commissioner of Police.

It further alleged that the officer leading the squad previously served in the anti-kidnapping unit in Osun and was once accused of shooting a suspect in custody before being transferred out of the state.

The Osun government appealed to President Bola Tinubu and the international community to intervene and prevent what it described as a looming threat against opposition figures in the state.

“We hereby place an urgent appeal to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the international community to take note of the looming planned mass arrest and killings of key figures of Accord Party in Osun State,” the statement read.

The government also urged the Inspector-General of Police to ensure that security personnel were not used for political purposes ahead of the election.

It maintained that residents of the state would resist any attempt to destabilise the political atmosphere through lawful means.

Neither the Nigeria Police Force nor the APC governorship candidate had reacted to the allegations as of the time of filing this report.