By John Dike, Osogbo
Osun State chapter of the Accord Party has appealed to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and other security agencies to provide adequate protection for its members and residents, alleging that the All Progressives Congress (APC) is orchestrating attacks aimed at implicating the party ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
In a statement issued on Sunday by the State Chairman of the party, Pastor Victor Akande, Accord alleged that the Osun APC and its governorship candidate, Muniru Oyebamiji, were attempting to frustrate security measures put in place by the Inspector General of Police to restore peace in the state.
The party cited separate incidents in Osogbo and the Okinni area, alleging that they were part of a coordinated plot to frame Accord members for violent attacks.
According to the statement, an attack in Osogbo was allegedly staged to implicate the party, while another incident in Okinni was described as a “false flag” operation. Accord also alleged that APC supporters disguised themselves with the party’s caps and symbols to create the impression that its members were responsible for the attacks.
The party maintained that none of its members was involved in any attack on residents, adding that it had previously alerted the police to the alleged plot without any action being taken.
Accord further alleged that individuals it identified as Asiri Eniba and Saheed Eninafe, as well as a personal assistant to Hon. Wole Oke, who it claimed had been mentioned in connection with previous incidents, had yet to be arrested or questioned despite directives from the Inspector General of Police.
The party also expressed concern over what it described as the failure of the Osun State Commissioner of Police to implement the IGP’s directives, alleging that suspected political thugs were still moving freely across the state.
In a related development, Accord alleged that three traditional chiefs in Okinni were shot by suspected political thugs on Saturday night and are receiving treatment at the Emergency Ward of the Osun State University Teaching Hospital, Osogbo.
According to the statement, the Olupapanla of Papanla in Okinni, Oba Abdulmaruf Ameen, visited the injured victims and disclosed that armed men invaded the community at about 9 p.m., opening fire indiscriminately and allegedly targeting persons believed to be supporters of the Accord Party.
The party claimed that the injured chiefs informed hospital authorities that the attackers arrived in vehicles branded with the acronym “AMBO.”
Accord also alleged that the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) who coordinated the evacuation of the victims to the hospital was transferred on Sunday morning to a rural division in Osun West as punishment for assisting the victims.
While commending the Inspector General of Police for deploying a special delegation and issuing directives to restore peace in the state, the party urged the police hierarchy to ensure full enforcement of those directives.
It reaffirmed its commitment to peace, stating that, in line with Governor Ademola Adeleke’s directive, its members would not resort to self-help but would continue to cooperate with security agencies in maintaining law and order.
As of the time of filing this report, the Osun State Police Command had not responded to the allegations or confirmed the reported transfer of the Divisional Police Officer. The APC had also not reacted to the fresh claims, while the allegations contained in the Accord statement have not been independently verified.
