The Imole Campaign Council, the campaign organisation of Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, has accused the state Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gotan, of allegedly collaborating with All Progressives Congress chieftains to intimidate and attack leaders and members of the Accord Party ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
The campaign council also alleged that the Commissioner for Environment, Mayowa Anjoorin, was abducted during an attack on Accord leaders in Ilesa on Saturday.
The allegations were contained in a statement issued in Osogbo on Saturday and addressed to the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu.
The statement was signed by the Chairman, Media and Publicity Sub-Committee of the Imole Campaign Organisation, Bamidele Sallam.
The campaign council alleged that Gotan held a clandestine late-night meeting with some APC leaders on Thursday, claiming that the meeting was connected to alleged plans to attack Accord leaders.
“The Imole Campaign Council has alerted the Inspector General of Police, Tunji Disu that the Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gotan is still enabling APC thugs to attack and intimidate leaders and members of Accord across Osun State,” the statement said.
According to the council, the alleged meeting took place late Thursday night and was attended by several APC chieftains.
“The Council specifically accused Mr Gotan of holding a clandestine meeting in the dead of the night on Thursday to plot further attacks and killings of Accord leaders,” it alleged.
The campaign organisation listed Senator Francis Fadahunsi, Wole Oke and Remi Omowaiye among those it alleged attended the meeting, alongside two other APC leaders.
The council further accused the police commissioner of allegedly acting contrary to the directive of the Inspector-General of Police that security personnel deployed for the election should remain professional and non-partisan.
It alleged that since Gotan assumed office as the police commissioner overseeing security for the election, he had been operating what it described as a “parallel police structure” allegedly targeting Accord members.
“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,” the council alleged.
Campaign alleges arrests, attacks on Accord members
The Imole Campaign Council further alleged that separate police teams were being deployed to arrest Accord leaders, while another team allegedly accompanied APC supporters during raids on Accord offices and the residences of some of its leaders in Ijeshaland.
The council claimed that the alleged operation led to the arrest of the Commissioner for Environment, Mayowa Anjoorin, on Saturday.
“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 Anjoorin this morning,” it alleged.
The campaign council also alleged that the police commissioner’s team, working alongside suspected APC thugs, attacked the Accord Party’s assembly candidate in Ilesa.
“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 council alleged.
The campaign organisation said the alleged incidents were particularly concerning because they occurred ahead of the August 15 governorship election, which it said should be conducted in a peaceful and credible atmosphere.
Council demands Gotan’s transfer
The Imole Campaign Council called on the Inspector-General of Police to immediately remove Gotan from Osun State, arguing that his continued presence could undermine efforts to ensure a free and fair election.
“We call 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,” the statement said.
The council also demanded the immediate release of what it described as more than 60 Accord leaders and members allegedly being held in detention.
Among those it listed was an Accord candidate for the House of Representatives in Ijesa South, identified as Hon. Alaba.
“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,” it said.
The campaign council further demanded the disbandment of what it described as a “secret police squad” allegedly being operated by the Commissioner of Police.
“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,” the council alleged.
The Imole Campaign Council urged the Inspector-General of Police to urgently intervene in the matter, saying such action was necessary to protect democratic participation, prevent further violence and ensure compliance with directives for a free and fair governorship election in Osun State.
The allegations by the campaign council had not been independently verified at the time of filing this report, and the police commissioner and the APC leaders named in the statement were not quoted as having responded to the allegations.
