By OLAJIDE IDOWU

Civil society groups under the aegis of the Network of Osun Civil Society Groups on Monday staged a protest demanding the redeployment of the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Ibrahim Gotan.

The protesters, joined by residents and students, alleged that the police commissioner had failed to address the rising cases of political violence in the state ahead of the Aug. 15 governorship election.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the protesters marched from Old Garage through Oke-Fia to Olaiya in Osogbo, carrying placards with inscriptions such as “Gotan Must Go,” “We Want Unbiased Policing in Osun,” and “We Demand Non-Partisan Policing.”

The protesters urged the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Tunde Disu, to immediately transfer the commissioner out of the state.

Speaking during the protest, Mr Olowu Emmanuel of the Social Economic and Civic Rights Advocacy group said the demand for the redeployment of the commissioner was necessitated by the political crisis that had persisted in the state over the past two months.

“Our demand is premised on the political crisis that has been taking place in the state in the past two months.

“Political billboards have been torn down, yet the CP did not respond as expected.

“Last week, suspected political thugs invaded the state, shot sporadically, injured several people, and no one has been arrested or prosecuted.

“The implication of these incidents is that they could lead to voter apathy and the disenfranchisement of voters during the Aug. 15 governorship election.

“That is why we are calling on the IGP to redeploy the CP and bring in someone who will tackle the growing political crisis without bias,” he said.

Also speaking, Mr Wale Balogun of the Mekunnu Koya Movement said the group had lost confidence in the commissioner’s ability to provide adequate security during the election.

“As things stand, we no longer have confidence in CP Gotan’s efforts to guarantee security during the Aug. 15 governorship election in the state,” he said.

Similarly, Mr Oluwole Aboke, former General Secretary of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), South-West Zone, said students and youths joined the protest because they had lost confidence in the police commissioner.

Aboke noted that although the police had directed political parties to suspend rallies over security concerns, some parties ignored the directive and proceeded with their campaigns

“This is why we are calling for the redeployment of the CP and demanding that the IGP appoint someone competent who can protect lives and property and ensure a free and credible election on Aug. 15,” he said.

Addressing the protesters, the Divisional Police Officer of Dugbe Police Station, Mr Joshua Owolabi, urged them to remain peaceful.

Owolabi assured the protesters that the commissioner of police remained committed to safeguarding lives and property across the state.

He said the CP had directed officers and men of the command to continue providing adequate security for residents.

“I want you to be peaceful. Any request that you have, present it peacefully because without peace, we cannot move forward,” he said. (NAN)