Accord Alleges Asiri Eniba Still Enjoys Police Protection Despite IGP’s Directive
By Waliu Adetokun, Osogbo
The Osun State chapter of the Accord Party has alleged that suspected political thug, Asiri Eniba, is still operating freely with the backing of some police officers despite the directive of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) ordering the arrest of those linked to recent political violence in the state.
The allegation was contained in a statement issued on Sunday by the State Chairman of the party, Pastor Victor Akande, who accused the Osun State Police Command of failing to carry out the directives issued by the IGP through the Deputy Inspector-General of Police.
According to Akande, the party had alerted the Inspector-General of Police and other security agencies to what it described as attempts by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to stage attacks and falsely implicate Accord members.
He claimed that recent incidents in Osogbo and Okinni were part of the alleged plot.
“We alert the Inspector-General of Police that despite his directive, the Asiri Eniba gang and its collaborating partners within the Police are yet to be arrested or questioned. They still drive around the state fully armed without interception or arrest, contrary to the operational orders issued by the Inspector-General of Police through the Deputy Inspector-General of Police,” Akande said.
The Accord chairman further alleged that the Osun State Commissioner of Police had failed to implement the IGP’s directives, despite several suspects allegedly being identified in connection with previous attacks.
“We suspect that the Commissioner of Police is still unwilling to enforce the directive of the IGP. Asiri Eniba, who has been openly linked to several attacks, remains at large. Saheed Eninafe is also still walking free despite the police knowing his whereabouts, while the personal assistant to Hon. Wole Oke mentioned by the wife of the late Aderogba has yet to be apprehended. None of these suspects has been declared wanted,” he stated.
Akande also alleged that a police officer identified as Eluku remained on active duty despite petitions accusing him of colluding with Asiri Eniba.
While commending the Inspector-General of Police for deploying senior officers to Osun and issuing operational directives to restore peace, the Accord chairman expressed concern over what he described as the slow implementation of those directives.
“As much as we commend the Inspector-General of Police for sending a delegation and issuing directives, we are worried that the Commissioner of Police is not ready to enforce the orders of his superiors. The APC gang is still moving freely, while a police officer named Eluku remains on his beat despite several unresolved petitions alleging collusion with Asiri Eniba,” he said.
The party reaffirmed its commitment to peace and urged its supporters to remain law-abiding.
“The Accord Party remains committed to sustaining peace through cooperation with law enforcement agencies. As directed by Governor Ademola Adeleke, we will not take the law into our own hands. We, however, expect the police to act swiftly and decisively,” Akande added.
As of the time of filing this report, the Osun State Police Command had not issued any official response to the allegations, while the All Progressives Congress (APC) had also not commented on the claims contained in the statement.