The Imole Campaign Council has alleged that the Osun State Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gotan is allegedly enabling thugs linked to the All Progressives Congress (APC) to attack and intimidate leaders and members of Accord across Osun state.
The Council in a statement by Rep. Bamidele Sallam, Chairman, Media and Publicity Sub-Committee, Imole Campaign Organisation accused the Osun CP of holding a clandestine meeting in the dead of the night on Thursday to plot further attacks and killings of Accord leaders.
The council listed the APC leaders met by Mr Gotan to include Senator Francis Fadahunsi, Hon Wole Oke, Mr Remi Omowaiye, and two other leaders. The police commissioner is openly defying the directive of the IGP that all police officers should be non-partisan.
“Since the arrival of the police commissioner in charge of election, Mr Gotan has been running a parallel police structure which he is deploying alongside APC thugs to molest Accord leaders.”
“We discovered that while the election commissioner is focusing on building architecture for stabilising the state for election, Mr Gotan is deploying special squad to arrest Accord leaders and another police team to accompany APC thugs as they raid Accord offices and houses of Accord leaders in Ijeshaland including the arrest of Commissioner for Environment, Hon. Mayowa Adejoorin this morning.”
“The Gotan squad, alongside APC thugs led by Mr Omowaiye today attacked the Accord assembly candidate at Ilesa as they parade Ilesa, armed with dangerous weapons in the presence of the police.”
“The videos are all over the Internet which showed APC thugs and police destroying Accord billboards as at this morning across Osun East. It is shocking that the police is accompanying thugs who are launching attacks on Accord members,” the council alleged.
The Council further called on the Inspector General of Police to immediately transfer Mr Gotan out of Osun state to allow the presidential directive for a free and fair election to materialise.
“We demand immediate release of over 60 Accord leaders and members under illegal detention including an Accord candidate for House of Representatives for Ijesa South, Hon. Alaba.”
“We further demand immediate disbandment of secret police squad being used by Mr Gotan to support APC thugs in their daily attacks on Osun Accord members. In the best interest of democracy, in pursuance of IGP direct order to police officers and in compliance with presidential directive for free and fair election in Osun state, we demand immediate urgent action of the Inspector General of Police,” the statement read.