•Group alleges police-thug alliance, seven Accord members killed, 25 injured; demands Tinubu, IGP, PSC’s intervention

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has issued a blistering warning to the Nigeria Police Force over what it described as the dangerous politicisation of policing in Osun State, alleging that the state police command is increasingly behaving like an enforcement arm of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) against members and leaders of the Accord Party.

HURIWA said its preliminary investigation into the unfolding political crisis in Osun State has produced deeply disturbing allegations of an unholy alliance between elements within the police command and suspected APC political thugs, allegedly aimed at intimidating, harassing, arresting and physically attacking Accord Party members ahead of the August 15 governorship election.

The human rights organisation declared that the Nigeria Police Force is constitutionally established to protect Nigerians and enforce the law, not to serve as the attack dog, private security outfit or political enforcement machinery of the APC.

HURIWA said it was particularly alarmed by allegations that police personnel have allegedly accompanied suspected APC thugs to attack Accord Party members, while some Accord members are allegedly arrested after their names are supplied or identified by APC political actors.

“This is no longer ordinary political rivalry. If these allegations are established, what is unfolding in Osun is an assault on democracy itself and an attempt to convert the police into a political weapon for crushing opposition parties,” HURIWA said Tuesday in a statement signed by the National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko.

The organisation said it had received allegations that no fewer than seven Accord Party members have allegedly been killed by suspected APC thugs, while about 25 others have reportedly sustained injuries, with perpetrators allegedly walking freely without meaningful arrests or prosecution.

HURIWA said the allegations become even more disturbing because of claims that the Commissioner of Police in Osun State has allegedly maintained an open and suspicious relationship with Asiri Eniba, whom political opponents have identified as a prominent figure among suspected APC street enforcers.

The organisation demanded that the Police Service Commission, the Inspector-General of Police and other relevant authorities immediately investigate the allegation and determine whether the Osun police command has compromised its constitutional duty of neutrality.

POLICE ALLEGEDLY HELPING THUGS TAKE OVER MOTOR PARKS

HURIWA further raised the alarm over allegations that police personnel are allegedly assisting suspected APC thugs in attempts to take over motor parks and other strategic locations across the state.

The organisation described such allegations as a frightening development capable of turning Osun State into a political battlefield before, during and after the governorship election.

HURIWA warned that allowing political thuggery to flourish under the protection or alleged cooperation of security agencies could result in the collapse of public order and undermine citizens' confidence in the electoral process.

The association therefore challenged the police hierarchy to come clean.

“Who authorised police officers to accompany political thugs to attack opposition members? Who authorised the arrest of Accord members allegedly identified by APC politicians? Who is protecting those allegedly responsible for the deaths and injuries being reported? And who gave anybody the authority to turn police stations and motor parks into political territories?”

HURIWA said Nigerians deserve answers.

ACCORD CANDIDATES’ ALLEGATIONS CANNOT BE SWEPT UNDER THE CARPET

The organisation said the allegations deserve urgent attention, particularly against the backdrop of complaints recently raised by Accord Party candidates in Osun State.

The member representing Ede North/Ede South/Egbedore/Ejigbo Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Bamidele Salam, recently accused the police of intimidating and persecuting Accord Party leaders and members.

Salam called for the intervention of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and demanded the release of Alaba Ibrahim Popoola, the Accord candidate for Ijesa South Federal Constituency, as well as Sodiq Olaniyan, a law student who was reportedly detained over allegations of cyberstalking.

Salam alleged that Olaniyan was arrested after raising concerns over alleged interference by an APC leader in the statutory responsibilities of INEC during the distribution of Permanent Voter Cards.

HURIWA said that allegation, if true, raises an alarming question:

Why would the police allegedly arrest the citizen who raised an alarm over suspected interference with an electoral process rather than thoroughly investigate the alleged interference itself?

The organisation also noted the police explanation that Popoola was arrested following a petition dated July 4 alleging involvement in illegal mining.

HURIWA said it would be irresponsible to prejudge the allegations against Popoola, but equally unacceptable for the police to use criminal allegations as a convenient cover for political persecution.

‘STOP HUNTING OPPOSITION MEMBERS’

HURIWA said it was also disturbed by allegations that Accord Party leaders, including the party’s Osun East senatorial candidate, Ibukun Fadipe, and other party leaders in the Ijesa axis, had allegedly been marked for arrest.

“We warn the police: Osun State is not a fiefdom of the APC, and the police command does not have the constitutional authority to decide who is permitted to participate in democratic politics.

“If any Accord candidate has committed a crime, investigate, charge and prosecute that person according to the law. But if police officers are being used to hunt down opposition candidates merely because political opponents have allegedly placed their names on a list, then the Inspector-General of Police must immediately dismantle such a criminal political arrangement.”

HURIWA stressed that no political party, whether ruling or opposition, should be above the law, and no security aa anogency should be permitted to act as a partisan instrument.

TINUBU MUST ACT BEFORE OSUN BECOMES A POLITICAL SLAUGHTERHOUSE

HURIWA called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene urgently, not to protect the APC or any other party, but to protect Nigeria’s democracy and the constitutional rights of Osun citizens.

The organisation said the President must demonstrate that his administration will not tolerate the use of security agencies to intimidate political opponents ahead of the August 15 governorship election.

HURIWA equally demanded immediate intervention by the Inspector-General of Police, the Police Service Commission and the National Human Rights Commission.

REDEPLOY OSUN CP IMMEDIATELY

Given the volume and gravity of the allegations surrounding the conduct of the Osun State Police Command, HURIWA demands the immediate redeployment of the current Commissioner of Police in Osun State.

The organisation said a neutral, professional and politically untainted Commissioner of Police should immediately be posted to Osun State to restore public confidence and guarantee a level playing field for all political parties.

HURIWA said the redeployment should not be interpreted as a declaration of guilt against the Commissioner but as an urgent confidence-building measure in view of the serious allegations surrounding the command.

The organisation also demands an independent investigation into:

• The reported killing of seven Accord Party members and alleged attacks resulting in injuries to about 25 others;

• Alleged collaboration between police personnel and suspected APC thugs;

• Alleged arrest of Accord members based on names supplied by political opponents;

• Alleged police assistance to suspected political thugs in taking over motor parks;

• The circumstances surrounding the detention of Accord Party members and supporters;

• The alleged relationship between the Osun Commissioner of Police and Asiri Eniba;

• Allegations of planned arrests of Accord Party candidates and leaders; and

• The general conduct of security agencies ahead of the August 15 governorship election.

HURIWA also demands that all reported cases of political violence in Osun State be independently investigated and that anybody found culpable—whether a politician, thug, police officer or other security personnel—must face the full weight of the law.

POLICE MUST CHOOSE: DEMOCRACY OR POLITICAL THUGGERY

HURIWA reminds the Nigeria Police Force that its allegiance is to the Constitution and the Nigerian people, not to the ruling APC or any individual politician.

The organisation therefore warns the Osun police command that the era when security agencies could allegedly be deployed to intimidate opposition politicians and manufacture a climate of fear must end.

The police cannot claim to be neutral while allegedly escorting political thugs to attack opponents.

The police cannot claim to protect democracy while allegedly arresting opposition members allegedly identified by ruling-party actors.

And the police cannot claim to uphold the law while suspected political enforcers allegedly roam the streets, allegedly kill and injure citizens, and allegedly seize strategic public spaces without accountability.

HURIWA therefore calls on President Tinubu and the Inspector-General of Police to act before the situation degenerates beyond control.

Osun State belongs to its people—not to APC thugs, not to Accord, not to PDP and certainly not to the police.

The forthcoming election must be a contest of ideas, programmes and votes—not guns, thuggery, police intimidation and political arrests.

HURIWA will continue to monitor developments in Osun State and will hold security agencies, political actors and other relevant institutions accountable for any action capable of undermining the people's right to freely choose their leaders.

Enough is enough.

The Nigeria Police Force must stop acting like APC’s attack dog and return immediately to its constitutional duty of protecting every Nigerian without fear or favour.

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