The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has directed security operatives to bring an immediate end to the wave of political killings and violence in Osun State, according to the Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG) in charge of the South-West, Adegoke Fayoade.
Fayoade disclosed the directive on Friday after a closed-door meeting with Governor Ademola Adeleke at the Government House in Osogbo. The meeting was attended by the Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) in charge of Zone 11, the Osun State Commissioner of Police, and other senior police officers.
The DIG said he was deployed to Osun by the IGP to assess the security situation and ensure that ongoing incidents of political violence are thoroughly investigated.
Conveying the IGP's directive, Fayoade said the Commissioner of Police and other security personnel had been instructed to ensure that acts of violence, murder, and brigandage do not recur in the state.
"The Inspector-General has directed that every act of murder, brigandage, or any unlawful activity must be fully investigated. Anyone found culpable should be arrested and prosecuted," he said.
He assured residents that the Nigeria Police Force would provide adequate security ahead of the forthcoming governorship election in Osun, stressing that the exercise would be conducted in a peaceful atmosphere similar to recent elections held in other states.
Fayoade said the police had already reviewed their security strategy and mobilised officers to tackle criminal activities and prevent further violence.
He also noted that he visited the Ataoja of Osogbo to reassure traditional authorities of the police's commitment to restoring peace and preventing criminals and political thugs from destabilising the state.
According to him, although Osun had remained relatively peaceful until recently, the approach of the election season has coincided with increasing incidents of violence, which the police are determined to contain.
Responding, Governor Ademola Adeleke welcomed the intervention of the IGP but insisted that ending violence must go beyond security assurances, calling for the immediate arrest and prosecution of those responsible for the recent killings.
The governor alleged that some police officers in the state had failed to act impartially and accused certain officers of collaborating with political thugs.
He cited the killings of individuals identified as Eluyera in Ikire, Ezekiel in Ilobu, and Aderogba in Esa-Oke, lamenting that no arrests had been made in connection with the incidents.
Governor Adeleke also alleged that armed political thugs had carried out attacks and vandalised property in parts of the state without decisive action from the police.
The governor maintained that while his administration has confidence in President Bola Tinubu and the Inspector-General of Police, Osun residents deserve impartial policing and equal enforcement of the law.
He further reiterated his call for the redeployment of the Osun State Commissioner of Police, claiming there was widespread public concern over the command's handling of political violence.
"We seek fair policing, impartial policing, and policing based on the rule of law. We are not asking for any special favour, only equal protection of lives and property," Adeleke said.
The governor urged the police leadership to ensure a peaceful environment ahead of the governorship election, expressing hope that the IGP's intervention would result in concrete action against perpetrators of political violence.
The meeting comes amid heightened security concerns in Osun State following a series of politically related attacks and killings as preparations intensify for the state's forthcoming governorship election.
