Adeleke asks police to arrest APC senator over ‘kill Accord members’ remark
Ademola Adeleke, governor of Osun, has asked the police to arrest Francis Fadahunsi, senator representing Osun east.
Adeleke spoke on Tuesday during an emergency press briefing in Osogbo ahead of Saturday’s governorship election.
Fadahunsi, an All Progressives Congress (APC) senator, has been roundly criticised after a video circulated on social media in which he directed supporters to kill members of the Accord party.
The senator later said his comment was metaphorical and meant that his supporters should defeat the Accord party at the ballot box through lawful and peaceful means.
The Osun police command has since summoned Fadahunsi to appear before the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Osogbo on Wednesday to clarify the circumstances surrounding the remarks.
‘BEYOND POLITICS’
Adeleke said the development has now gone beyond political rivalry and requires the attention of President Bola Tinubu through the national security adviser.
This is now beyond politics. This is now a national security threat that requires the attention of Mr President through the office of the National Security Adviser,” he said.
The governor added that he had raised the matter with the inspector-general of police (IGP) and demanded the immediate investigation and arrest of Fadahunsi.
Adeleke said the IGP had assured him that immediate action would be taken.
“We ask that the police and the DSS immediately arrest Senator Fadahunsi for his incitement to genocide against the people of Ijesaland and Osun state,” he said.
Adeleke also alleged that a police signal had been issued directing the immediate arrest of Accord party leaders in Osun.
He said the reported directive instructed that the leaders be taken to Abuja and detained until after the election.
The governor said he had spoken with the IGP and appealed to him to publicly clarify whether such an order existed.
“I task the IGP to issue a statement to assure Nigerians that no order has been given to arrest Accord party leaders in Osun state,” he said.
Adeleke alleged that more than 62 Accord leaders were already being held in police detention without charges.
He also called on the IGP to stop what he described as the “illegal operations” of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT), which he accused of arresting Accord members across local government areas.
The governor urged security agencies to uphold due process and remain professional before, during and after the August 15 governorship election.
“We demand that the IGP enforce due process and fair policing by aborting all anti-people plots against democracy in Osun state,” he added.