Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke has expressed displeasure over steady detention of one among his aides, Abiodun Adegoke Apesin by the State Police Command.
The governor, subsequently, requested the Inspector Basic of Police, Kayode Egbetokun to name the Osun Police Commissioner, Ibrahim Gothan to order over arrest and illegal detainment of Apesin.
Demanding speedy launch of Apesin “who has been repeatedly denied bail over a defamation petition affecting the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Oyebamiji,” the governor in a press release issued in Osogbo decried the continual detention of Apesin as a breach of his basic human rights “particularly as the topic of the petition from the APC and its candidate is a non-capital offence which is bailable beneath the Nigerian regulation.”
In keeping with the assertion issued on Monday by the governor’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, “The governor puzzled why police would deny bail on two separate events regardless of compliance with the situations set by the police, together with producing degree 10 and Degree 12 officers, calling the scenario “an unacceptable partisan conduct by the state police command.”
Whereas calling on the IGP to direct the Commissioner to order speedy and unconditional launch of Adegoke, the governor cautioned the police in opposition to turning into a instrument within the arms of political gamers as it could undermine peace and safety of the state.
“Considered one of my aides, Mr Adegoke has been detained for greater than 5 days now. He has not been charged to courtroom and he has been refused bail on two events. That may be a basic breach of the regulation and the structure.
“The Osun Police Command appear to be dropping each sense of professionalism since Mr Gothan resumed as CP in Osun. Police now detain for so long as they need with out granting bail or charging suspects to courtroom, and generally, the abuse of rights of residents relies on the verbal petition or directions of opposition political leaders.
“I subsequently demand unconditional and speedy launch of Mr Adegoke and an finish to the systematic harassment of my media aides who’re functioning inside the confines of the regulation and the structure. Earlier than Mr Adegoke, one other one among my aides, Mr. Iyiola Monsuru was detained. Each of them had been arrested with out the Police extending a proper invitation to them.
“The police command mustn’t give the impression or conduct itself in methods and manners that can mark it as serving the political curiosity of APC and its chieftains. The police must be neutral and non-partisan and serve the curiosity of all Nigerians inside the confers of the regulation”, the governor was additional quoted as saying.