A faction in the All Progressives Congress supported by the Interior Minister, Rauf Aregbesola, in Osun State, has demanded the removal of the state Police Commissioner, Wale Olokode, whom they accused of bias.
Addressing newsmen on Friday at Oranmiyan House, Osogbo, the Chairman of Aregbesola’s faction in Osun APC, Rasaq Salinsile, said series of attacks on members of the group reported to the CP were not addressed.
Salinsile spoke on the heels of Thursday’s attack on Aregbesola’s campaign office by suspected political thugs.
He said Olokode was usually quick in attending to complaint by the people in authorities against members of his group and also accused the Osun State Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, and some leaders of the faction supported by the governor of sponsoring attacks on Aregbesola’s supporters.
Salinsile said while the perpetrators were known and petition written, there was no concrete action by the security agencies, especially the police.
He said, “We had intelligence reports of the Gboyega Oyetola-led Ilerioluwa faction’s plan to assassinate and maim some of us, and we promptly passed the information to the Commissioner of Police in particular and all other security agencies. But nothing was done about it till now.
“We are of the firm belief that the refusal to act on our petitions on the impending attacks by the police and other security agencies emboldened the criminally minded associates of Governor Oyetola to become vicious on their attacks on us.
“As the security agencies were not scrutinising our reports not to talk of investigating it, so were they looking the other way whenever we are attacked. The worst is that we are punished by the Commissioner of Police, Wale Olokode-led police whenever such attack happens.
“We therefore call on CP Olokode to ask the Inspector General of Police to post him out of Osun. We plead with the Inspector General of Police to please expeditiously transfer CP Olokode from Osun with immediate effect. CP Olokode, to the best of human understanding, is incapable of carrying out his job impartially as demanded by the constitution.”
We’ll fish out attackers of minister’s campaign office – Osun police
Meanwhile, the state Police Command on Friday promised to fish out those behind the attack on Oranmiyan House used as Aregbesola’s campaign office.
The building had come under attack by some yet to be identified hoodlums who damaged some of the windows and a transformer located in front of the secretariat.
The command in a statement by its spokesperson, Yemisi Opalola, said the state Police Commissioner, had assured of maximum security and urged residents to go about their lawful business without fear.
Opalola also said more police personnel working with the local security outfits had been drafted to the area to maintain peace.
The statement read in parts, “Consequent upon the attack on the Oranmiyan House, located along Gbongan/Ibadan road, Osogbo today being 3rd February, 2022, the Commissioner of Police, Osun State, CP Olawale Olokode, has visited the area for an on-the-spot assessment, and assured the affected people that, the perpetrators will be brought to book, while directing the command’s tactical teams to embark on a rigorous and intensive investigation to fish out the perpetrators for them to face the full wrath of the law.
“The CP in his spirited efforts to fight crimes to a standstill has rejigged the command’s security action plans in tackling any form of crime in the state, and admonished the political gladiators to play the game according to the rules.
“While promising a ‘round-the-clock’ security coverage, the CP urges good people of the State to continue with their legitimate businesses as police personnel jointly with the local security outfits have been charged and drafted to the areas to maintain absolute peace.”
Similarly, the state commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Mr. Emmanuel Ocheja, has condemned the attack by some miscreants on the Oranmiyan House, saying more men had been deployed to protect critical infrastructure and the people in the state.
A statement by the NSCDC Public Relations Officer for Osun command, Olabisi Atanda, further said, “The Commandant, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps(NSCDC), Osun State Command, Commandant Emmanuel Ocheja has condemned the attack by unknown miscreants on the Oranmiyan House, today, Thursday 3rd February, 2022 in Osogbo the state capital.
“The Corps is working in synergy, with other security agencies to ensure a peaceful atmosphere and he emphasised that no one that is caught acting against the law will be spared.
“The Commandant also said that he has as a matter of urgency, following the incident, deployed his men to protect critical infrastructures, which includes transformers, heavy investments and the good people of the state, resident within the vicinity, until calm and tranquility is restored.”
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