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Accord, Osun Govt Raises Alarm Over Alleged Police Plot Ahead of Governorship Election
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Accord, Osun Govt Raises Alarm Over Alleged Police Plot Ahead of Governorship Election
By Waliu Adetokun, Osogbo
The Osun State Government and the leadership of the Accord Party have raised alarm over an alleged plot to target leaders of the party and top government officials ahead of the August 15 governorship election in the state.
In a statement issued on Monday in Osogbo, the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Oluomo Kolapo Alimi, alleged that a special police squad led by CSP Moses Lahor had been assembled for what he described as a “decapitation operation” against Accord leaders across Osun State.
According to the statement, the squad was allegedly being prepared to carry out selective arrests of party officials under the guise of security operations.
“We have an authentic report about the plot for the squad to land in Osun any moment from now and commence selective commando-like arrest of Accord officials, not for investigation and prosecution but likely summary execution,” the statement read.
The government further alleged that the squad had held several meetings with the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Oyebamiji, accusing him of providing logistical support for the operation.
“It was specifically gathered that the APC candidate has availed the killer squad two Toyota 18-seater passenger buses and one Sienna vehicle for their smooth operations throughout the state,” the statement added.
Alimi also claimed that the planned operation was allegedly being carried out without the knowledge of the Osun State Commissioner of Police.
The statement further alleged that the officer leading the squad previously served in the anti-kidnapping unit of the Osun State Police Command and was once transferred out of the state following an alleged shooting incident involving a chieftain of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Comrade Nurudeen Alowonle.
According to the government, influential APC leaders from Osun allegedly facilitated the officer’s transfer to the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) unit of the Nigeria Police Force.
The Osun government and Accord Party appealed to President Bola Tinubu and the international community to intervene over what they described as a looming threat to 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 said.
The government also called on the Inspector General of Police to ensure that officers of the Nigeria Police Force are not used for political purposes ahead of the governorship election.
“We charge the IGP to toe the path of peace and harmony, so as not to allow his men to be used to carry out the already known illegality in the interest of the APC and its candidate in Osun State,” the statement added.
It maintained that residents of the state would continue to resist any form of intimidation through lawful means ahead of the election.
