A civil society group, Osun Democrats for Democracy (ODD) has called on the Inspector General of Police to withdraw the mobile policemen he deployed to the state from Abuja, declaring that Osun is peaceful and police service should not be a source of instability in the state.
The coalition also appealed to the Police Service Commission and the Minister of Police Affairs to prevail on the Inspector General of Police to stop ongoing harassment of Osun people by the mobile policemen, calling them “an army of occupation and partisan squad”.
“We have gone round Osun in the last 24 hours and our assessment is that the mobile policemen deployed to the state have no business being here. The approach adopted by the State Government has diffused tension as all actors are encouraged to toe the path of rule of law. Osun people are going about their daily business peacefully in line with the directive from the state government.
“Strangely, the mobile policemen are mounting roadblocks and putting tyres on the roads. Some of them are extorting motorists and creating artificial hold ups within and outside the capital. They are scheming to create an artificial sense of insecurity. The IGP should know that his men from Abuja are not needed here as Osun remains one of the most peaceful states in Nigeria.
“Despite the IGP’s open partisanship in the Osun local government face off, he has a duty to remember his allegiance to the constitution and the judgement of history.
“We urge the IGP to retrace his steps before further damage is done to the image of the service. Rabid partisanship is not a sign of loyalty to the President but an approach undermining the credibility of the Federal Government before the public”, the group warned.
