Governor Ademola Adeleke has appealed to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, to intervene in what he describes as the unprofessional and partisan conduct of the Osun State Police Command.
In a statement signed by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed on Monday, the governor accused the State Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gothan, of allowing the force to become a “tool for political harassment” following the arrest and prolonged detention of his media aide, Abiodun Apesin.
Adegoke has reportedly been in police custody for over five days without being charged in court.
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The arrest stems from a defamation petition filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its 2026 governorship candidate, Bola Oyebamiji.
Adeleke decried the situation as a flagrant breach of fundamental human rights.
He noted that despite the alleged offence being a bailable, non-capital crime, the police have denied Adegoke bail on two separate occasions.
The governor’s team claims they fulfilled all bail conditions, including providing Level 10 and Level 12 civil service sureties.
Like a previous case involving another aide, Iyiola Monsuru, Adegoke was allegedly whisked away without any prior formal invitation or notice.
Adeleke expressed deep concern over the “systematic harassment” of his media team, suggesting that the police command is acting on the “verbal instructions” of opposition leaders to destabilise his administration ahead of the upcoming elections.
“The Osun Police Command seems to be losing every sense of professionalism since Gothan resumed as CP,” the governor stated. “The police should be impartial and non-partisan and serve the interests of all Nigerians within the confines of the law.”
The governor cautioned that if the police continue to conduct themselves in a manner that favours the political interests of the APC, it could undermine the fragile peace and security of the state.
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He demanded an immediate end to the detention of his aides and urged the IGP to ensure the command returns to the path of neutrality.
He emphasised that the state government will not sit idly by while its officials are “unlawfully intimidated” for functioning within the confines of the Nigerian Constitution.
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