…as Accord Party kicks, alleges political witch-hunt of members, calls for IGP’s intervention
Police in Osun have confirmed the arrest of the state’s Commissioner for Environment, Mayowa Anjorin, and one other person identified as Odeyemi Abimbola, over a shooting incident during a political party procession in Ilesa.
Police said the incident occurred when suspected armed men allegedly alighted from a vehicle with registration number OSHA 04 and fired sporadically around the ongoing political procession.
A statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, said some of the suspected shooters were dressed as personnel of the Osun State Security Network Agency, popularly known as Amotekun.
It added that three persons, identified as Tobi Ilesanmi, Wasiu Alanide and Aderemi Adedeji, sustained gunshot injuries during the incident and were rushed to hospital for treatment.
Police further stated that members of the public pursued some of the fleeing suspects, adding that one suspected Amotekun operative allegedly produced a knife and attempted to attack those who apprehended them before escaping.
The police statement read, “Following the report, operatives of the Force Intelligence Department-Intelligence Response Team mobilised to the area, where they reportedly sighted a Lexus vehicle with registration number ABJ-89TS.
“An individual identified as an Amotekun operative was found inside the vehicle with a pump-action firearm, after which the occupants were arrested and transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for questioning.
“Preliminary investigation has identified one of the occupants as Hon. Mayowa Anjorin, Commissioner for Environment, Osun State, while the Amotekun personnel was identified as Odeyemi Abimbiola.”
Police in the state also said it was investigating allegations linking another individual, Wale Akerele, to the incident, stressing that the claim remained an allegation and that no person should be presumed guilty before the conclusion of the investigation.
Among the items recovered from the scene, according to the police, were four expended cartridges and one Amotekun cap.
The command said the investigation would establish the circumstances surrounding the shooting, identify everyone involved, determine the source and ownership of the firearms allegedly used and establish the respective levels of involvement of those connected to the incident.
The police assured the public that the investigation would be conducted “professionally, transparently and without political bias.”
“Political actors and their supporters should remain calm and avoid spreading unverified information ahead of the forthcoming governorship election,” the police added.
But the development has drawn a strong reaction from the Accord Party, which accused security agencies of subjecting its members to politically motivated arrests across the state.
The spokesperson for the Imole Campaign Council, Pelumi Olajengbesi, alleged that more than 60 Accord Party members had been arrested in different parts of Osun, particularly in Ijesaland, in recent days.
Olajengbesi claimed that the arrests were affecting the party’s campaign activities and alleged that prominent members had been detained on what he described as questionable allegations.
He described Anjorin’s arrest as “nothing short of a bandit-like abduction carried out under the cover of police authority”.
“We call for the immediate intervention of the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Olatunji Disu.
“The Nigeria Police Force belongs to the Nigerian people. It does not belong to the APC. It does not belong to Accord. It does not belong to the PDP or to any political godfather,” he added.
Accord Party also raised a separate allegation concerning alleged attempts to compromise the electronic processes of the Independent National Electoral Commission, claiming that suspected operatives had been brought into Osun from Lagos and Abuja.
The party, in a statement signed by the state chairman, Pastor Victor Akande, alleged that the individuals were operating from a hotel in Osogbo and called on INEC and security agencies to investigate the claim.
Accord urged INEC to strengthen its cybersecurity measures ahead of the election, while calling for searches of locations allegedly being used for activities capable of undermining the electoral process.
