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The Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, has raised concerns over escalating violence ahead of the Osun State governorship election, revealing that at least 20 people have allegedly been killed in the state in recent months.
Speaking on Friday during a visit to the headquarters of the Osun State Police Command in Osogbo, the IGP warned political actors against turning the election into a violent contest, assuring residents that the police would provide adequate security before, during and after the poll.
Disu said he had received a security briefing from the state Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gotan, and later met with Governor Ademola Adeleke.
According to the police chief, security reports indicate that more than 20 people have been killed within a few months, describing the situation as unacceptable.
He also disclosed that the Commissioner of Police alleged that some suspects being sought by the police were being sheltered inside the Government House, a claim he said he raised directly with Governor Adeleke.
Disu said the governor assured him that anyone found to have committed a crime, regardless of status or relationship, should be arrested and prosecuted.
The IGP stressed that no individual involved in murder or other criminal acts would escape justice, warning those planning to instigate violence during the election that it would not be “business as usual.”
He reaffirmed the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to provide a peaceful environment for political campaigns and ensure the governorship election is conducted without intimidation or bloodshed.
Meanwhile, Governor Adeleke, in a video released after the meeting, reiterated his commitment to maintaining peace in the state, insisting he would not shield any criminal from arrest or prosecution.
The development comes amid growing political tension in Osun, with the governor\\\'s re-election campaign organisation, the Imole Campaign Council, recently calling for the redeployment of Commissioner of Police Ibrahim Gotan over allegations of bias and partisanship.
