By John Dike, Osogbo
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State has called for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the arrest and alleged mistreatment of one of its members, Mr. Rasaq Dolapo Gafar, by officers of the Oyo State Police Command.
The suspect was reportedly arrested on August 4, 2025, at his workplace — Zenith Bank Plc, Ring Road, Ibadan — after being alleged to have threatened the life of Osun State Governo Ademola Adeleke, in a viral video. He was subsequently charged to court.
In a statement by the party’s Director of Media and Information, Mr. Kola Olabisi, the APC accused CSP Adefisoye Kazeem, the Chief Security Officer to Governor Adeleke, of masterminding the arrest in collaboration with eight masked officers allegedly attached to the Osun State Government House.
According to the statement, the officers stormed Gafar’s workplace without a warrant or prior invitation, physically assaulted him, and whisked him away in what the party described as a clear violation of his rights and due process.
Olabisi further alleged that after the arrest, Gafar was taken to the Divisional Police Headquarters at Orita Challenge, Ibadan, where the Divisional Police Officer declined to detain him, citing the illegal nature of the operation. Despite this, he was reportedly transferred to the SWAT office of the Nigeria Police Force, Ibadan, where he was allegedly subjected to further physical abuse and detained in dehumanizing conditions.
The APC claimed that the petition that prompted the arrest was personally authored and signed by CSP Adefisoye — a development the party described as a violation of the Nigeria Police Force’s professional code of conduct.
“Mr. Gafar was denied access to legal representation and communication with his family before being hurriedly arraigned before the Chief Magistrate’s Court in Ibadan on August 5, 2025,” the statement said.
The APC expressed concern that the matter, which it believed lacks any genuine criminal basis, was politicized and turned into a tool of harassment against opposition members.
The party urged the Inspector-General of Police to launch a thorough investigation into the incident, including the role of CSP Adefisoye and the unidentified masked officers. It also demanded the immediate transfer of CSP Adefisoye from the Osun State Command, citing fears of continued political victimization.
According to Olabisi, the CSO had reportedly been reassigned to the Osun State Command after his promotion but had refused to vacate his post at the Government House. The party also alleged that he chose to work with the SWAT unit because its officer-in-charge is his kinsman from Idanre, Ondo State, and had willingly aided the controversial operation.
Further raising the alarm, the APC claimed that Gafar’s arrest may be part of a broader plan to target other members of the party’s media team, including Olabisi, Kehinde Ayantunji, Waheed Adekunle, Bada Mayowa Wasiu, Adedeji Adebayo, and Akin Adeyi.
The party also refuted claims that the arrest was ordered from Abuja, describing such assertions by the SWAT team as false and misleading.
“The Nigeria Police Force must not allow itself to be used as a tool for political intimidation,” the statement warned. “We call on the Inspector-General of Police to act swiftly and restore public confidence by addressing this abuse of power.”
Olabisi accused CSP Adefisoye of acting as a willing tool in the hands of Governor Adeleke to suppress opposition voices, calling for decisive action to protect democratic freedom in Osun State.
