Adeleke's team claims police plan arrests before Osun election

The Imole Campaign Council, which is backing Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke's re-election, claimed on Sunday that the state police have created a list of 46 people to be arrested before the governorship election on August 15.

Kolapo Alimi, the Deputy Director-General of the campaign council, spoke to journalists in Osogbo. He said the people marked for arrest are mainly from Ikire, the main town in Irewole Local Government Area.

Alimi said that the Commissioner for Energy, Ademola Adeyemo, is at the top of this list. He also mentioned that a leader of the Accord Party in Ikire, Taofeek Akinyemi, was arrested after he reported being shot at by hoodlums.

The Osun State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment accused a member of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps of working with the opposition. This is to help them arrest Accord Party members in Ikire and disrupt the party's campaign.

"Even more alarming are the credible security reports reaching the leadership of the Imole Campaign Council regarding a coordinated 'hit list' drawn up by political opponents in collusion with compromised security operatives.

"Several leaders of the Accord Party and prominent opposition figures have been 'penned down' for systematic, unlawful arrests in the days leading up to the election.

"Specifically, we have confirmed information that the following individuals (46 in number) have been marked for arbitrary arrest, harassment, and forcible transfer to Abuja to keep them out of circulation during the election," Alimi said.

He listed some of those allegedly targeted for arrest, including Ademola Adeyemo, Idris Idowu Jooda, Pastor Paul Akinola, Mukaila Yusuf, Dr Kazeem Atoba, Yesiru Olaniyi, Alhaji Olokeola, Wale Olunloye, Taye Adeyemo, Moshood Jolaiya, Lere Ogungbade, Kola Akinpelu, Tiri Adepoju, and Pastor Femi Oladiran, among others.

Alimi demanded that Akinyemi be released immediately or taken to court. He also called on the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, to order the Osun State Police Command, the State Criminal Investigation Department, and special squads from Abuja to stop what he called the arbitrary arrests and harassment of opposition leaders.

He urged the Force Headquarters to review the security personnel deployed to Osun before the election. He wants only neutral and professional officers to be sent.

In response, the Osun State Police Command dismissed the allegations.

Police Public Relations Officer Abiodun Ojelabi said the police will keep raiding criminal hideouts in the state to protect lives and property.

"We are raiding black spots and criminal hideouts every day to sanitise the environment for the forthcoming election, and this raid is not targeted at any individual, group of persons, or political party.

"It is targeted at criminal hideouts. We don’t have any list anywhere; the police do not formulate any list.

"We are only working with criminal records that we have and constantly raiding black spots and criminal hideouts. We have advised parents to warn their children to avoid late-night movements and to avoid associating with those who have criminal records. There is no way they will not implicate them.

"The government has also promised to set up a joint task force, and that would have helped a lot, so it won’t be the police alone. But since then, we have not seen anything from them. Maybe it will come up tomorrow, so it won’t appear that the police are acting alone or have some people in mind."