Adeleke Condemns Killing of 14-Year-Old in Ilobu, Accuses Police of Complicity
By Waliu Adetokun, Osogbo
Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, has condemned the killing of a 14-year-old boy in Ilobu, describing the incident as a tragic example of what he termed the complicity of the state police command in the ongoing political violence across parts of the state.
In a statement issued on Monday by his spokesperson, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, expressed condolences to the family of the deceased teenager and called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of those responsible for the killing.
Adeleke alleged that the attack was carried out by a known political thug linked to the All Progressives Congress (APC), adding that the incident occurred in the presence of security operatives.
He specifically called on the Osun State Police Command to arrest one Saheed Tanfeani, whom he accused of leading the operation that resulted in the teenager’s death.
“This killing is the worst example of police complicity.
This re-confirms a pattern of police indulgence of Osun APC political thugs who move around towns with guns and regular gunshots in the air,” the governor said.
“It is alarming that a police command watches as political thugs invade, attack and harass residents and supporters of the Accord.”
The governor further accused the police of demonstrating partisanship in the discharge of their duties, alleging that some officers were providing support to political actors engaged in violent activities.
“The State Police Command is daily demonstrating reprehensible open bias and unacceptable partisan support for the Osun APC. There are even reports that some police officials accompany AMBO thugs in their daily operations,” he stated.
According to Adeleke, his administration has repeatedly alerted the Inspector-General of Police and the Presidency to what it considers a growing threat to peace and security in the state.
“We have made sufficient representations to the Inspector General of Police and the Presidency. Our administration has filed several petitions to relevant security establishments on the impunity and the threats to peace and security of Osun State,” he said.
The governor also criticized the continued deployment of security personnel to protect APC local government chairmen whose tenure he described as having been terminated by court rulings.
“Presently, the Osun Police Command is providing protection to court-sacked APC council chairmen who have just been re-sacked by the Federal High Court in a case they filed. Mobile policemen are deployed to council secretariats to protect court-sacked, tenureless APC operatives, preventing duly elected PDP council chairmen and councillors from accessing the secretariats,” he alleged.
Describing the situation as an abuse of police powers, Adeleke said the action undermines democratic governance and the rule of law.
“This is clearly an abuse of police power in service of illegality. The deployment of mobile policemen to protect those occupying council secretariats illegally is the lowest ebb in the current trampling on our democratic life. A dangerous precedent has been set that will be resisted by our people,” he said.
The governor urged President Bola Tinubu and the Inspector-General of Police to intervene and ensure that the law is upheld in the state.
“We alert Mr President that our people have been pushed to the wall. Failure of the police to enforce the law can force citizens to resort to self-help. We must respect the rule of law, the Electoral Act and the Constitution,” Adeleke added.
The Osun State Government maintained that adherence to constitutional provisions and the rule of law remains essential to preserving peace, security and democratic governance in the state.