Adeleke’s wife leads women in protest against arrest, violence in Osun

Osun State First Lady Titilola Adeleke led a significant protest on Monday, joined by women from various trade and artisan groups, to voice concerns over alleged "indiscriminate arrest and violence" preceding the state's governorship election. The march, which began along the Osogbo-Ilobu Road, concluded at the Osun State Police Command.

Carrying placards with messages like "Election is not war" and "Stop indiscriminate arrest of our husbands," the women demanded a peaceful and fair electoral process. They specifically called for notable All Progressives Congress chieftains to be invited for questioning regarding the escalating violence in the state. The First Lady recounted an incident where the Commissioner of Environment was allegedly brought to the police command and stripped naked, deeming it unacceptable.

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We are demanding a free and fair election in the forthcoming poll. We want peace; let there be peace. Invite APC chieftains for questioning. They should stop killing our husbands and children. Make them sign an undertaking. From what we heard, we learnt that they will start picking our leaders up this week.

Samuel Etaifo, the Commissioner of Police overseeing the election, met with the protesters and received a letter detailing their demands. He assured them that the command was working to de-escalate tension and would consider their concerns. Etaifo noted that the Inspector General of Police had been involved due to heightened tensions, and his presence had led to relative peace.

However, Etaifo cautioned against actions that could provoke counter-protests and further escalate tensions. He emphasized the need for a strategic re-evaluation to address the protesters' concerns without causing renewed unrest, stating that the command would "restrategise to attend to all your d."

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I have been here for the past two weeks. The IG was here because of the heightened tension in the state. For the first time in history, the IG directed the CP election to come three weeks to the election. If you notice, since I came, we have relative peace in the state, but the problem we have is that we cannot continue to tolerate what you have done today because it will not contribute to peace; it will cause tension again. Let us assume that you come out now and the other party comes out, then both of you meet; what will happen?