Osun Guber: Accord accuses police of selective arrests

The Osun State chapter of the Accord Party has accused the state Police Command of carrying out selective operations against its members ahead of the August 15 governorship election. The allegation was made on Monday in a statement issued by the party’s state chairman, Pastor Victor Akande, following the police rejection of claims that they had prepared a list of politicians for arrest before the election.

The party said recent raids and arrests carried out by the police were unfairly directed at its members instead of being focused on fighting crime across the state. It argued that the security operations had created fears among its supporters and questioned the neutrality of the command as the election draws closer.

According to the Accord Party, some individuals allegedly linked to the All Progressives Congress have not faced the same level of police action despite claims of criminal involvement. The party said this has raised concerns about fairness and equal treatment by the security agencies.

The party also referred to an incident in Ikire involving one of its members, Taofeeq Akinyemi. It claimed Akinyemi had earlier survived a gunshot attack before he was later arrested and taken to the State Criminal Investigation Department. The party questioned why the person accused of carrying out the shooting had not been arrested while its member remained in custody.

Accord stated that it supports efforts aimed at ensuring peaceful elections and tackling criminal activities but insisted that law enforcement should not be used to intimidate members of any political party. It called on the police to review their operations, release members it described as being held for political reasons and ensure fairness throughout the election period.

Reacting to the allegations, the Osun State Police Command maintained that its operations are not politically motivated. The command said its officers carry out regular raids on identified criminal hideouts as part of ongoing efforts to improve security ahead of the governorship election.

Police spokesperson DSP Abiodun Ojelabi also dismissed claims that the command had drawn up a list of politicians for arrest. He said no political party or individual was being targeted and explained that all operations were based on intelligence gathered by the police. He also advised parents to discourage their children from moving around late at night or associating with people involved in criminal activities.

The police added that the proposed joint security task force announced by the Osun State Government has not yet started operations, while assuring residents that efforts to maintain peace and security before, during and after the governorship election would continue.