Tuesday, June 23, 2026 - Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke has condemned the killing of a 14-year-old boy in Ilobu, Osun State.
Governor Adeleke also alleged that the incident occurred in
the presence of police officers, describing it as evidence of growing police
complicity in political violence across parts of the state.
In a statement issued on Monday by his
spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, the governor also criticised the police for
allegedly providing protection to sacked local government chairmen of the All
Progressives Congress, APC, insisting that the rule of law and constitutional
provisions must prevail in the state.
Adeleke expressed sympathy to the family of the deceased
teenager and called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of individuals
allegedly involved in the attack.
Describing the incident as disturbing, the governor
questioned why police officers at the scene allegedly failed to prevent the
killing and urged the Osun State Police Command to apprehend a suspect he
identified as Saheed Tanfeani.
“This killing is the worst example of police complicity.
This re-confirms a pattern of police indulgence of Osun APC political thugs who
move around towns with guns and regular gunshots in the air,” Adeleke said.
He alleged that the police had failed to curb attacks and
harassment allegedly carried out by political thugs against residents and
supporters of the Accord party in some communities.
“The State Police Command is daily demonstrating
reprehensible open bias and unacceptable partisan support for the Osun APC.
There are even reports that some police officials accompany AMBO thugs in their
daily operations,” the governor stated.
He said his administration had lodged several petitions with
the Inspector-General of Police and the Presidency over rising insecurity and
political violence in the state.
Adeleke alleged that the police command was currently
providing protection for APC local government chairmen who had been removed
from office by the courts, claiming that security personnel had been stationed
at council secretariats to prevent elected Peoples Democratic Party officials
from assuming office.
“Mobile policemen are deployed to council secretariats to
protect court-sacked, tenureless APC operatives, preventing duly elected PDP
council chairmen and councillors from accessing the secretariats,” he said.
The governor described the deployment as an abuse of police
powers and warned that continued disregard for judicial pronouncements could
threaten democratic governance and public order in the state.
“We alert Mr President that our people have been pushed to
the wall. Failure of the police to enforce the law can force citizens to resort
to self-help. We must respect the rule of law, the Electoral Act and the
Constitution,” Adeleke added.
Meanwhile, the Osun State Police Command has launched a
manhunt for suspected hoodlums following the killing of a 14-year-old boy
identified as Ezekiel Olapade and the injury of another person during a
shooting incident near the Irepodun Local Government Secretariat, Ilobu.
The police also revealed that the deceased Olapade, was
reportedly struck by a stray bullet when armed men opened fire close to the
council secretariat on Sunday afternoon.
The Command’s spokesperson, SP Abiodun Ojelabi, said
officers had commenced investigations and were intensifying efforts to
apprehend the prime suspect, identified as Saheed, popularly known as
“Tanfeani”, alongside others believed to have participated in the attack.
0 Comments