Adeleke Alleges 60 Osun Accord Leaders Were Moved to Abuja Prisons

(Ademola Adeleke. Photo Credit: Premuim Times)

Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke claims that despite the presence of federal and state courts in Osun, more than 60 Accord Party leaders were arrested and sent to prisons in Abuja and Nasarawa.

The governor made the claim on Thursday during a peace meeting in Osogbo, ahead of the governorship election on August 15.

In a statement posted on social media, Governor Ademola Adeleke said his government and supporters have been “under siege and att@cks for the past three months,” accusing former governor and Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, of being behind the vi0lence.

He said he should have boycotted the peace meeting given the vi0lence unleashed on Osun State in recent months, which he claimed was on Oyetola’s directive, adding that while the gathering was meant to endorse peace, his government and people continue to face police-sanctioned vi0lence and intimidation.

He further accused the Osun police command of backing att@cks on his supporters.

According to him, more than 60 Accord leaders have been arrested and taken to Abuja, where they were remanded in Abuja and Nasarawa State prisons, including an Accord House of Representatives candidate, Hon Alaba.

He questioned why the suspects were taken to Abuja when both the Federal High Court and State High Courts are available in Osun State for anyone to be arraigned.

The governor also alleged that the Secretary to the State Government, Teslim Igbalaye, was arrested on trumped-up charges after police raided his residence without a court-authorised warrant.

Adeleke said eight party members have been k!lled and more than 20 injured in recent att@cks, stressing that no suspect has been prosecuted to date.

He said there has been no single prosecution or active arrest so far, describing the perpetrators as known Osun APC thugs whose crimes were committed in the presence of the police.

He called on the Inspector-General of Police to return those currently in custody to Osun State and have them charged in courts within the state if any offence had indeed been committed, adding that those remanded in prisons elsewhere should be brought back to Osun and arraigned locally if the police can establish any wrongdoing.

He also appealed to President Bola Tinubu to caution Oyetola and the Osun State Commissioner of Police against further vi0lence against the people.

The allegations follow the arrest of Igbalaye and five others by police over alleged vote-buying. Police spokesperson Abiodun Ojelabi said N4.8 million and other electoral materials were recovered from a residence linked to the SSG.

Political tension has escalated in Osun State ahead of the governorship election, with supporters of the Accord party and the APC trading accusations and verbal att@cks.