How I was stripped naked in Police station — Osun Commissioner
…as APC, Imole Campaign Council trade blame on Ilesa shooting incident
By Ismail Azeez
The Osun State Commissioner for Environment, Hon. Mayowa Adejoorin, has narrated how he was arrested and stripped naked by officers of the Osun State Police Command.
Speaking after his release at the Osun State Government House on Sunday, Hon. Adejoorin explained how he was allegedly accosted on his way to Ilesa by officers of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
He said the police arrested him on suspicion of using Amotekun, the state-established security outfit, to perpetrate violence in the state ahead of the forthcoming Osun governorship election.
He further alleged that the police claimed the Amotekun operative assigned to him was not supposed to protect politicians and was not authorized to carry a rifle.
Describing the experience as politically motivated, he noted that his Amotekun operative remains in police custody.
Earlier, the Nigeria Police confirmed the arrest of Hon. Mayowa Adejoorin, the Commissioner for Environment and Sanitation under Governor Ademola Adeleke’s administration, just one week before the Osun State governorship election.
According to the State Police Command, Adejoorin was arrested in connection with the alleged disruption of a political rally in Ilesa, an action it said forms part of an ongoing criminal investigation.
The command’s spokesman, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, disclosed that the commissioner was arrested at the scene and transported to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for interrogation.
He said officers responded immediately after receiving distress reports from the scene.
According to Ojelabi, police operatives secured the area and recovered several exhibits believed to be relevant to the investigation.
“Immediately the incident was reported, our personnel moved to the scene, cordoned off the area, and recovered some exhibits, including expended cartridges and Amotekun personnel caps,” he said.
In a related development, the Osun State Police Command stated that it has commenced an investigation into a shooting incident that occurred around Ilesa during a procession by supporters of a political party.
DSP Ojelabi confirmed that the command recovered four expended cartridges and one Amotekun cap at the scene.
According to the police account, the incident occurred when suspected armed men alighted from a vehicle with registration number OSHA 04 and allegedly fired sporadically near the political procession. Some of the individuals involved were reportedly dressed as personnel of the Osun State Security Network Agency, also known as Amotekun.
Ojelabi said three persons identified as Tobi Ilesanmi, Wasiu Alanide, and Aderemi Adedeji sustained gunshot injuries during the incident.
They were evacuated to a hospital, where they are currently receiving medical attention and responding to treatment.
“Following the incident, some courageous members of the public reportedly pursued the fleeing suspects and caught up with some of them. It was further alleged that one of the suspected Amotekun personnel produced a knife and attempted to use it against those who apprehended them, thereby creating an opportunity for him to escape.”
“Upon receipt of the information, operatives of the FID-IRT swiftly mobilized to the area. During the operation, a Lexus vehicle with registration number ABJ-89TS was sighted. An individual identified as an Amotekun personnel and found in possession of a pump-action firearm was reportedly inside the vehicle.”
“The vehicle and its occupants were subsequently taken into custody and transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for questioning and further investigation. Preliminary investigation has identified one of the occupants as Hon. Mayowa Adejoorin, Commissioner for Environment, Osun State, while the Amotekun personnel was identified as Odeyemi Abimbola,” Ojelabi stated.
Meanwhile, the campaign councils of Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke and the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, have traded accusations over the shooting incident that disrupted the political rally in Ilesa.
The two camps offered conflicting accounts of the incident while calling on the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to intervene and investigate the circumstances surrounding the violence ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
The Imole Campaign Council, through its spokesperson, Pelumi Olajengbesi, raised concerns over what it described as the increasing arrest, intimidation, and alleged abduction of political leaders and supporters in Ijesaland.
Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, Olajengbesi alleged that the arrest of the Commissioner for Environment and Sanitation, Hon. Mayowa Adejoorin, was part of a strategy by the APC to weaken Accord Party structures ahead of the election.
He called on police authorities to investigate the circumstances surrounding Adejoorin’s arrest and demanded his immediate release.
Olajengbesi also urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), civil society organizations, election observers, and the international community to pay close attention to developments in Ijesaland ahead of the August 15 election.
According to him, prominent political leaders and supporters are allegedly being picked up by the police and kept away from their families, communities, and campaign activities at a critical period in the electoral process.
“For some time now, we have witnessed a disturbing pattern in which prominent Accord leaders and supporters in Ijesaland are picked up by the police on allegations that are apparently motivated by sinister political calculations, kept away from their families, communities, and campaign activities, and thereby removed from circulation at a critical period of the electoral process.”
“We have seen this pattern repeatedly, and today we are compelled to ask: What exactly is the objective of these arrests? The answer, from the pattern before us, appears increasingly obvious.”
“The APC is desperate in Ijesaland. Rather than face the people in a free, fair, and competitive election, there is a growing concern that these rejected political actors may be seeking to weaken the Accord Party’s structures by removing its leaders from the field.”
“We are, therefore, deeply concerned that these arrests may be connected to an attempt to create an environment conducive to electoral manipulation in Ijesaland ahead of the August 15 governorship election. Let us be clear: you cannot remove our leaders from circulation and expect the people of Ijesaland to remain silent. You cannot arrest one leader today, another tomorrow, and another the next day, and ask us to believe that all these incidents are mere coincidences.”
“The Nigeria Police Force belongs to the Nigerian people. It does not belong to the APC, it does not belong to Accord, and it does not belong to the PDP. It does not belong to any candidate or political godfather. Its duty is to protect the law and guarantee the safety of every citizen, regardless of political affiliation.”
“We, therefore, call directly on the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Tunji Disu, to urgently intervene in the situation in Osun State and investigate the disturbing pattern of arrests involving Accord leaders, particularly in Ijesaland,” Olajengbesi said.
Giving the APC’s account of the incident, the Chairman of Media and Publicity for the Osun APC Governorship Campaign Council, Engr. Remi Omowaiye, alleged that the Chief Whip of the Osun State House of Assembly, Hon. Wale Akerele (popularly known as “Water”), drove past the rally and fired a shot into the air.
He alleged that several people were injured during the incident, including a young boy identified as Tobi Ilesanmi, who was in his mother’s shop when he was hit by a bullet.
Omowaiye said he personally led the effort to take the boy to Wesley Guild Hospital, adding that the boy was bleeding profusely and that his condition was critical at the time of the statement.
He further alleged that a stray bullet hit the driver of a Sienna vehicle identified as Mohammed, while Wasiu Alanide, a member of the party, was also shot.
According to Omowaiye, the incident caused chaos among participants, forcing people to scramble for safety.
“It is so sad that, in spite of all our complaints, the Adeleke government keeps attacking our people and innocent citizens of Osun. We have said this several times: Governor Adeleke and his squad do not have anything to campaign on, so they have resorted to violence.”
“We started our ward-to-ward campaign and began meeting with communities. Today, we divided ourselves into two groups. Some leaders led the Ward 4 and Ward 5 rally starting from Omofe, while I led other leaders to Ward 7 to meet with communities.”
“The rally started from Omofe and was supposed to end at the party secretariat for Wards 4 and 5. But to our surprise, the Chief Whip of the Osun State House of Assembly, Hon. Wale Akerele, popularly called ‘Water,’ drove past and shot into the air. People scrambled for safety. As if that was not enough, he left and returned with Amotekun Corps members who started shooting at people, causing a stampede. We will make video evidence available to you.”
“We call on the IGP and the Director of the DSS to intervene. This violence must stop,” Omowaiye said.
Corroborating the account, APC chieftain Folarin Fafowora said, “We were almost rounding off when, suddenly, a car overtook us. The occupant of the car was the Chief Whip of the Osun State House of Assembly, Hon. Wale Akerele. I was surprised to see people embracing him, but before I realized what was happening, a gunshot rang out.”
“Out of nowhere, individuals emerged from an armoured vehicle and started shooting. I immediately ducked for cover, and by the time I regained my composure, chaos had erupted,” Fafowora said.