Osun guber: Accord accuses police of selective arrests, police deny allegations

The Osun State chapter of the Accord Party has accused the Nigeria Police Force of selective policing and targeting its members ahead of the August 15 governorship election.

 

The allegation followed the police’s dismissal of claims by the Imole Campaign Council that security agencies had compiled a list of political figures for arrest before the election.

 

In a statement signed by the Osun Accord Chairman, Pastor Victor Akande, the party rejected the police’s explanation for recent raids and arrests, alleging that the operations were aimed at intimidating its leaders and supporters rather than combating crime.

 

According to the party, the police had departed from their constitutional responsibility by allegedly focusing on Accord members while failing to take action against individuals it claimed were linked to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

 

The party alleged that individuals, including Kazeem Oyewale, popularly known as Asiri Eniba, and others allegedly associated with the APC, had not been subjected to similar security operations despite facing criminal allegations.

 

Accord also referred to an incident in Ikire, alleging that one of its members, Taofeeq Akinyemi, who was recently arrested and transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), had earlier survived a shooting allegedly carried out by an individual identified as Akinkunmi Alabi, also known as Ojuyobo.

 

The party questioned why the alleged attacker had not been arrested.

 

“As a political party, we very much support any effort that will put criminals away so as to guarantee a peaceful and free poll, but we will not accept the subtle attempt by the Police to brand the membership of Accord as being criminal,” Akande said.

 

He urged the police to review their operations, release what the party described as political detainees, including Akinyemi, and ensure impartial policing throughout the election period.

 

Responding, the Osun State Police Command denied the allegations, insisting that its operations were aimed solely at tackling criminal activities across the state.

 

The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, said the command had not compiled any list of politicians for arrest and was not targeting any political party.

 

“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,” Ojelabi said.

 

He added that the command would continue intelligence-led operations against criminal elements across the state and advised parents to discourage their children from late-night movements and association with persons with criminal records.

 

Ojelabi also disclosed that the proposed joint security task force announced by the Osun State Government had yet to commence operations.