A coalition of civil society organisations under the Network of Osun Civil Society Groups on Monday staged a protest in Osogbo, the state capital, demanding the redeployment of the Osun State Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gotan, over allegations of political partisanship.
The protest comes just about two months to the state’s off-cycle governorship election slated for 15 August.
Calling for the intervention of the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, the protesters accused the police commissioner of actions they alleged could compromise neutrality in the discharge of his duties, especially as political activities begin to gather momentum ahead of the forthcoming governorship election in the state.
In a live video seen by PREMIUM TIMES, the demonstrators, carrying placards and banners, marched through major streets in Osogbo and threatened to submit a petition to relevant authorities in demand for the immediate redeployment of the police commissioner.
The groups alleged that recent actions and decisions by the state police command had raised concerns about the command’s impartiality in handling sensitive matters in the state.
Speaking during the protest, the secretary of the coalition, Success Oluomo, said the demand for redeployment was necessary to safeguard public trust and ensure a level playing field in the state..
“Our protest for his redeployment is because we have seen him as someone who is partisan, and we as civil society actors are not ready to support anybody who is partisan or who appears to be supporting one political party,” Mr Oluomo said.
The demonstration comes amid growing tensions between the Osun State Government and the police command over the police’s handling of certain security-related matters in the state.
Last Monday, 8 June, the Osun State Government publicly cautioned the police command against what it described as possible political interference in the handling of a suspected banditry case linked to Lameco in Ifon-Orolu area of the state.
In a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, the state government alleged that there were attempts by unnamed political actors to influence police actions regarding the arrested suspect.
The government also questioned reports that the suspect was undergoing psychiatric evaluation and called on the police to provide details of the medical assessment and other aspects of the investigation.
During the protest, some demonstrators alleged that the police had not also taken sufficient action over a recent incident of politically linked violence that reportedly left three people injured.
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Speaking at the protest, the Executive Director of Socioeconomic and Civic Rights Advocacy, Oloyin Mohammed, criticised the police command for what he described as a failure to act despite the availability of video and photographic evidence.
“These are actions that could be interpreted as political influence. If these concerns are not addressed, there could be voter apathy on election day, which may ultimately disenfranchise many citizens. We call on the Inspector-General of Police to redeploy the state Commissioner of Police to another state,” Mr Mohammed said.
The Osun State Police Command had not issued an official response to the protest and allegations as of the time of filing this report. However, when contacted by PREMIUM TIMES for comments, Mr Gotan briefly answered the call and said, “I will call you back,” after learning the purpose of the inquiry. Subsequent calls to his phone were declined.
Governor Adeleke is seeking to be elected for second term in office in the 15 August election in the state. In the race, Mr Adeleke is up against other 13 candidates, including that of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Oyebamiji.