Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has accused the Commissioner of Police in the state of failing to cooperate with his administration in addressing security concerns, saying the situation has contributed to recurring problems in the state.
Adeleke made the allegation during an interview while reacting to reports of violence allegedly involving political thugs.
The governor said he was saddened by the situation, claiming that although other security agencies were making efforts, the police commissioner had not shown sufficient cooperation.
“I am very, very sad. The Commissioner of Police in my state is not cooperating. That is why we keep having problems. Other agencies are trying, but he in particular, I don’t know what his problem is,” Adeleke said.
According to him, he had been informed of a shootout involving persons he described as thugs allegedly linked to the All Progressives Congress, APC.
“There was a shootout with the thugs. They call them Asiri Eniba, the thugs of the APC. They came out and started shooting people. It is not acceptable,” he said.
Adeleke appealed to residents of the state to remain calm, saying his administration did not want the situation to degenerate into a state of emergency or further bloodshed.
He said he had reached out to top security authorities, including the General Officer Commanding, the Chief of Army Staff and the Inspector-General of Police, over the security situation in the state.
“I am telling my people to calm down. We don’t want to have emergency or any crisis. They are the ones that know about violence. But I have tried my best to make sure Osun is safe. I have called the GOC, I have called the Chief of Army Staff, I have reported to the IG, I have done everything. Enough is enough,” the governor added.
Meanwhile, a civil society organisation, the Initiative for Youth Development and Peace Advocacy, IYDPA, has raised questions over the alleged deployment of operatives of the Osun Amotekun Corps to a private energy facility in Ondo State.
The group alleged that Amotekun operatives from Osun were deployed to Pacific Energy Company in Omotosho Village, Ondo State, a facility reportedly owned by Dr Deji Adeleke, elder brother of Governor Adeleke.
In a statement issued in Osogbo, IYDPA called on the Osun State Government to explain the alleged deployment of the state-funded security outfit outside Osun.
The statement was signed by the Director-General of the organisation, Abdulrahman Al Amin, and its spokesperson, Akinwale Kehinde.
The group alleged that no fewer than 50 Amotekun operatives were assigned to the facility located along the Benin/Ore Road.
According to IYDPA, the alleged deployment raises questions about the priorities of the state government, especially at a time when many communities in Osun are facing security challenges, including kidnapping, armed robbery and other criminal activities.
“The people of Osun deserve to know why a security outfit funded by taxpayers is allegedly being used to protect a private commercial enterprise outside the state while insecurity remains a concern in many communities,” the group said.
IYDPA argued that the Amotekun Corps was created to complement conventional security agencies in protecting lives and property within Osun State and should not be diverted to assignments outside its jurisdiction.
The organisation also expressed concern over reports that one of the operatives allegedly deployed to the Ondo facility sustained serious injuries in an accident while travelling to the state and was not adequately supported afterwards, allegedly leading to his death.
However, the Osun Amotekun Corps has denied the allegations, describing them as false, baseless, misleading and politically motivated.
In a statement issued by its Public Relations Officer, Yusuf Idowu Abass, the Corps said it did not deploy 50 operatives, or any of its personnel, to a power plant or private energy facility in Ondo State.
