Osun APC, Adeleke’s Camp Clash Over Alleged Criminals In Govt House

The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has rejected Governor Ademola Adeleke’s response to allegations that wanted criminals were being sheltered in the Government House, Osogbo.

The party described the governor’s response to the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, as evasive, insisting that some wanted suspects were being shielded from arrest.

NEWSNGR reports that Disu, during a visit to the Osun State Government House on Friday, had told Adeleke that, based on the briefing available to him, some wanted criminals were allegedly taking refuge in the Government House.

Adeleke, while responding, denied shielding criminals and urged the police to arrest anyone found culpable, including members of his family.

In a statement signed by its Director of Media and Publicity, Kola Olabisi, on Saturday, the APC said Adeleke’s denial further confirmed what it described as the governor’s reliance on propaganda.

Olabisi alleged that a viral video showed a wanted criminal on the police watch list leading members of his gang into a room in the Government House.

He also claimed that there were photographs allegedly showing the governor with political thugs at public functions.

“The response of the governor to this weighty allegation of his keeping some of the daredevil criminals in the Government House was grossly evasive and was at variance with the expected response to the allegation in the estimation of the right-thinking members of the society,” Olabisi said.

“The denial of Governor Adeleke that he has not been keeping dangerous political thugs in the state affirms the fact that he has added another negative feather to his nest of being a dancing governor, to a cursing governor and now a lying governor.

“It is equally worrisome that the embattled Governor Adeleke could have the effrontery to be denying his alliance and association with persons on the police wanted list when it is a known fact that some of them were appointed political functionaries of the governor.”

APC Criticises PDP Members’ Conduct

Olabisi further criticised members of the ruling party over their conduct during the IGP’s visit to the state Police Command.

“The lowlight of the IGP’s visit was that the handlers of the defunct Peoples Democratic Party that has transformed into the deregistered Accord Party in Osun State need to work on their members on how to behave in public, as it was shamelessly exhibited at the state Police Command,” he said.

Adeleke’s Camp Fires Back

Reacting, the Director of Strategic Communication of the Imole Campaign Council, Jamiu Olawumi, dismissed the APC’s claim as false and irresponsible.

Olawumi said the allegation was an attempt to smear the image of the Nigeria Police Force, which provides security at the Government House.

“That allegation is spurious and irresponsible and it is another attempt to smear the image of the Nigerian Police Force, which has the responsibility of providing security for the government and the Government House,” the PUNCH quoted Olawumi as saying.

“An average policeman within the Government House is a representative of the Nigerian Police Force and the Inspector-General of Police. In actual fact, they were sent there to maintain order and security.

“So, if you are saying that there is a systemic failure within the police, and police officers were not able to apprehend or spot criminals within the Government House and report back to their superiors who asked them to be there, that is very, very unfortunate.”

‘APC Accusing Adeleke Of Its Past Conduct’

Olawumi accused the APC of judging Adeleke’s administration by what he described as the party’s conduct while it was in power in the state.

“However, if you listen to an average APC man, he thinks the way they ran government before Governor Adeleke, in abuse of privileges and opportunities, is what Governor Adeleke is doing by saying that he has no criminals within the premises of the Government House,” he added.

He said Adeleke had made it clear that no criminal should be spared, even if the person was his biological child.

Olawumi also urged the police to invite APC chieftains for questioning over their allegations.

“After all, it is the same police that has not been prosecuting those already arrested for crimes in Osun State, especially those that have to do with APC. So what the APC has done is just hallucination and irresponsible, trying to get the sympathy of the public that is already against them because of what they do,” he said.

Adeleke had earlier told the police to go after all suspected criminals in the state, stressing that anyone found guilty should be arrested, regardless of political or family ties.