A fresh row has erupted between the Osun State Government and the state Police Command following a police operation at the residence of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), with both sides offering conflicting accounts of the incident.
The state government on Wednesday condemned what it described as coordinated raids on the homes of senior officials, alleging that the operations were carried out without search warrants and were politically motivated ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
In a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, the government claimed that armed police officers led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations stormed the SSG's residence while ward officials of the Accord Party were holding a meeting inside the compound.
According to the statement, the SSG was away attending the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) stakeholders' forum when the officers arrived and allegedly took some occupants of the residence to an undisclosed location.
The government said the operation was part of a wider pattern of raids targeting members of the state executive council, alleging that the residences of about six commissioners and other top government functionaries had also been searched in recent days.
It specifically alleged that the residence of the Commissioner for Energy in Ikire was ransacked, with property damaged during the operation, while several other commissioners reported that their homes had either been placed under surveillance or searched.
The government further claimed that a number of Accord Party members were being detained at the State Criminal Investigation Department without bail.
Describing the development as an abuse of police powers, the government accused the command of compromising its neutrality and acting in the interest of the opposition APC.
It warned that the alleged actions of the police could undermine public confidence in the conduct of the forthcoming governorship election and appealed to the Inspector-General of Police, the National Security Adviser, President Bola Tinubu and other relevant authorities to intervene.
The government also urged residents to remain peaceful despite what it called sustained provocation.
However, the Osun State Police Command dismissed claims that the operation was politically motivated.
The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, confirmed that operatives raided the SSG's residence but insisted that the action followed credible intelligence.
He disclosed that six suspects were arrested during the operation, adding that two were released after preliminary screening when investigators found no evidence linking them to any criminal activity.
According to him, the remaining four suspects are still in police custody as investigations continue.
"It is true that, based on intelligence, the house of the SSG was raided by police operatives and six persons were arrested with exhibits. Two of them have been released after screening, while the remaining suspects are still in custody. That is all I can say for now," Ojelabi said.
The incident comes amid heightened political activities in Osun State as parties intensify campaigns ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
Leave a Reply