The leadership of Hon Rasaq Salinsile-led faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State has condemned the midnight arrest of the Chairman of the party in Ifelodun Local Government, Hon Siji Alatayo, by the police.
The party, in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Comrade Abiodun Agboola, also condemned what it described as gestapo-like manner of arrest of one of the APC leaders on its side, Hon Siju Oyewumi in his Eko Ende home in the middle of the night.
Agboola noted that the midnight hunting of the party leaders and members by the police in Ifelodun local government portends great danger to the nation’s fledgling democracy and critical insecurity.
He wondered what could have been the offences of the arrested persons that could warrant their midnight arrest.
Agboola said the arrest of the APC leaders might not be unconnected with the federal constituency meeting held which was disrupted by armed political hoodlums allegedly sent by Governor Adegboyega Oyetola-led IleriOluwa faction of the party.
The Publicity Secretary stated that the ‘IleriOluwa thugs’ attacked members of the party at the meeting with guns, cutlasses and other weapons.
He said it was clear from beginning that Oyetola was not happy that the federal constituency meeting would be held in his domain.
The statement reads: “Their (Oyetola and IleriOluwa faction) jaundiced claims was that nobody should express opposing views to the Governor’s bid for a second term from the federal constituency which is undemocratic.
“We note that the police unconventional method of midnight arrests are inimical to the societal wellbeing and against the rules of policing which is basically to protect lives and properties of citizens.
“The midnight police arrests are tantamount to promoting the insecurity being experienced in the country as criminals marauding the land could hide under such despicable and cave dwelling manner of policing.
“We can decipher political motive into the arrests as the police has not told the world what are the offences committed by those arrested.
“The police could only be serving the script of the government who is bent on coercing people to support it for a failed second term bid, with such an unacceptable way of arresting.
“We know for a fact that the police, having failed in its duty to protect us at the meeting as would have been expected of it, will look for any excuse to save face.
“We regret to note that it is our members that they can arrest at midnight when we have formally written the command, with audio/video evidence that the Governor Oyetola’s IleriOluwa group has concluded plans to attack all of our events.
“We note with sadness that the police, like it has done before in the case of “Osun APC 7”, prefers to obey unlawful orders from Governor Oyetola’s men for political reasons rather than its constitutional roles. This injustice will continue to lead Nigeria into blind alleys.
“It is unfortunate that Governor Oyetola is gradually taking Osun to an undemocratic and dictatorial level where the police are used to muzzle the public for political gain.
“We note that those who threaded this path never ended well as the people are sufficiently dynamic to know how to respond to brutal treatment from a wicked ruler’’
