Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has accused the State Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gothan, of ordering the illegal detention of one of his aides, Abiodun Adegoke, and repeatedly refusing to grant him bail.
The governor also called on the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to intervene and ensure that Adegoke’s fundamental rights are respected.
In a statement signed by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, and obtained in Osogbo on Monday, Adeleke said Adegoke had been detained for more than five days without being charged to court over a defamation petition he reportedly wrote against the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate, Bola Oyebamiji.
The governor described the continued detention as a violation of the Constitution and accused the Osun Police Command of acting unprofessionally since Gothan assumed office as commissioner.
“One of my aides, Mr Adegoke, has been detained for more than five days now. He has not been charged to court and has been refused bail on two occasions. That is a fundamental breach of the law and the Constitution,” Adeleke said.
He alleged that suspects were being detained without due process and claimed that some arrests were based on verbal petitions or instructions from opposition political figures.
Adeleke demanded the immediate and unconditional release of Adegoke, warning against what he described as the systematic harassment of his media aides, whom he said were carrying out their duties within the law.
He further alleged that another aide, Iyiola Monsuru, had earlier been detained without a formal police invitation, urging the police to remain impartial and non-partisan in the discharge of their duties.
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“The police should not conduct themselves in a manner that suggests they are serving the political interests of the APC and its chieftains,” the governor said.
Reacting to the allegations, the Osun State Police Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Ojelabi, said Adegoke had been admitted to bail, absolving the commissioner of police of any wrongdoing in the matter.
Ojelabi said the command had investigated the allegations against Adegoke and would file charges against him before the Federal High Court, Osogbo.
“He will be admitted to bail once his sureties come to the station. The police will file charges before the Federal High Court, Osogbo, and the court will fix a date for his arraignment,” Ojelabi said.