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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Elections & Politics

Osun poll: Adeleke campaign group seeks release of detained supporters

From The Punch · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources In the courts
  • The campaign team for Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke demanded the release of supporters allegedly arrested by the police.
  • The team accused the Nigeria Police Force of politically motivated arrests targeting members of the Accord Party ahead of the governorship election.
  • Police authorities dismissed the claims, stating only six suspects were arrested based on credible intelligence.

The campaign team for Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has demanded the immediate release of supporters they claim were unlawfully arrested by the Nigeria Police Force. The team alleges that the arrests are politically motivated and aimed at intimidating opposition supporters ahead of the state's governorship election.

We have just come out of the IRT office. In the last two to three days, over 86 people, members of our party, have been arrested for no reason. These people were brought by road to Abuja and detained here unnecessarily.

— Pelumi OlajengbesiDescribing the alleged mass arrests of party members.

Pelumi Olajengbesi, the campaign's spokesperson, stated after visiting the Force Intelligence Response Team headquarters in Abuja that over 86 members of the Accord Party have been arrested across Osun State without any lawful basis. He claimed these individuals were transported to Abuja and detained unnecessarily, with police leadership unable to provide explanations or present any petitions against them.

We have met with the leadership of the police, and they cannot provide any explanation to us. There is no petition against them. These people have committed no offence.

— Pelumi OlajengbesiHighlighting the lack of justification for the detentions.

Olajengbesi further alleged that 36 detainees were transferred to Keffi Correctional Centre and 14 others to Kuje Custodial Centre, despite not being charged with any offense. He asserted that the Osun State Commissioner of Police is compromised and that allowing him to oversee the election would jeopardize its integrity. The campaign is calling for the Inspector-General of Police to intervene and ensure a free and fair electoral process.

Today, having visited our people in detention, we discovered that 36 have been taken to Keffi, 14 have been taken to Kuje, for no reason, for no single offence committed. This must not continue.

— Pelumi OlajengbesiDetailing the transfer of detainees to correctional centers.

However, the Osun State Police Command has refuted these allegations, stating that only six adult suspects were arrested. The command's spokesperson, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, confirmed that the arrests were made based on credible intelligence, contradicting the campaign's claims of mass detentions.

The Commissioner of Police in Osun State is completely compromised. If he is allowed to conduct the election, the election is already compromised.

— Pelumi OlajengbesiAccusing the state police commissioner of bias.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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