Osun: Accord rejects police meeting, demands arrest of alleged APC thugs

The Osun State chapter of Accord has declined an invitation to a meeting convened by the state Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gotan.

The party has also insisted that it would not engage with the police until those responsible for alleged attacks and killings of its members were arrested.

The party announced its decision in a statement issued on Monday by its state chairman, Pastor Victor Akande, who also accused the Osun State Police Command of failing to act on a series of violent attacks on Accord members and sympathisers across the state.

According to Akande, “The police invited members of the party’s state executive to a meeting scheduled for Monday, but the invitation, which was received late on Sunday, did not state the purpose of the gathering.”

He who said the invitation came at a time when the police had allegedly failed to investigate or prosecute individuals linked to attacks on Accord members, described the proposed meeting as “an attempt for photo opportunity on the pains and injuries of Accord members”.

“Our members suffered repeatedly out of negligence, criminal collusion and unwillingness for law enforcement of the police command. We lost our youth leader at Ikire. Up till now, no single arrest has been made,” Akande added.

The Accord chairman alleged that the party’s billboards were destroyed by suspected APC supporters without any arrests being made by the police, adding that several members and sympathisers were injured during separate attacks in Osogbo and Ede.

“The Osun APC in broad daylight attacked several Accord members, shooting sporadically across the state capital and Ede. Seven people, mostly Accord sympathisers, were seriously injured,” he stated.

Akande also accused armed thugs allegedly affiliated with the APC of terrorising residents in different towns across Osun State, claiming the police had failed to stop their activities despite allegedly knowing their identities and locations.

He alleged that a 14-year-old, Ezekiel Olapade, was killed on Sunday in the presence of police officers, with no arrest being made as of the time the statement was released

“We therefore find it difficult to honour invitations from the police commissioner until he does the needful. We charge him to act professionally and enforce fair policing,” Akande added.