NUJ, CSO call for removal of Commissioner of Police in Osun State

By Deborah Oladejo, Osogbo

Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Osun State Council, has demanded for the immediate redeployment of Osun State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Olawale Olokode, over the shooting of its member by men of the state command.

A statement by the Chairman of the Council, Wasiu Ajadosu and Secretary, Bukola Elufadejin gave the apex echelon of the police seven days ultimatum to redeploy Olokode, on the grounds of gross indiscipline and unprofessional conduct of men and officers of the command under his supervision.

The statement called on the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba Alkali to remove Olokode to save the state from incessant unrest and crisis due to lackadaisical approach to sensitive issues of security by the leadership of the command

The statement described the action of the officers of the command as unfortunate, barbaric, uncivilized and demeaning, especially in a democratic environment where citizens possess the rights to ventilate their grievances through protest.

The Union noted that it would no longer condole harassment and intimidation of its members, saying over five members of the union had been attacked by the police in the last three months.

Also, the Osun Civil Societies Coalition (OCSC) has called for the removal of Olokode.

According to OCSC, Olokode has demonstrated incompetence in the management of security of lives and property of the people of the state, with total disregard to the fundamental human rights of the people. 

Chairman of the OCSC, Waheed  Lawal, in a statement issued on Tuesday accused Olokode of inability to manage policemen under him, saying the police in Osun have not learnt from the #EndSARS protest. 

Lawal said brutality, harassment and intimidation of innocent citizens of Osun State by the police have continued unabated.

He said: “After the last #EndSARS protest across Nigeria in which Osun State was actively involved, police brutality, intimidation, harassment of innocent citizens and extrajudicial killing have continued unabated in Osun. 

“As of today, we have a record of about five persons killed extra-judicially by the police under the leadership of CP Wale Olokode. 

“Today, the men of the Nigeria Police Force in Osun State are at it again, as they shot a journalist, Mr. Toba Adedeji, a correspondent of The Nation Newspaper, alongside a primary school pupil whose name is yet to be known, in Osogbo this afternoon.

“The two innocent people were shot at a rally held by some people who were protesting the killing of a young man, Abiola Afolabi by the police. Abiola Afolabi was shot dead by the police on April 4, 2022. He was buried today. 

“As if that is not enough, the police went ahead to arrest another journalist, Fatai Akanji, for performing his lawful duty. 

“We condemn the action of the police and the lackadaisical attitude of the Commissioner of Police, Mr Wale Olokode, who appeared helpless on the misconduct of his men. 

“The commissioner of police and his men have demonstrated enough total disregard to the fundamental human rights of the people of the state. 

“We call on the Inspector of Police to redeploy Olokode from Osun. He is a poor manager of policemen and security system of Osun. The Police have remained reckless under Olokode’s watch.

“However, if after 24hours the police do not meet our demand we shall mobilize the public and commence actions against the Nigerian police.”