Osun Guber: Group raises alarm over rising insecurity, police neutrality

The Osun Masterminds, TOM, has expressed concern over the worsening insecurity in Osun State ahead of the August 15, 2026 governorship election.

This is as the group called on security agencies, political parties and electoral stakeholders to ensure a peaceful, free and credible poll.

Speaking during the organisation’s July 2026 State of the State address on Thursday, the Executive Director of TOM, Professor Wasiu Oyedokun-Alli, said the state’s security situation had deteriorated in recent months, with increasing reports of cult-related violence, armed political thuggery and clashes linked to the election season.

“Residents in Osogbo, Ede, Ilesa and Ile-Ife now live under growing anxiety as confrontations involving rival political groups and cult gangs increasingly occur in public places, disrupting commercial activities and threatening public safety,” he said.

Oyedokun-Alli said the rising insecurity should not be separated from preparations for the governorship election, warning that unchecked violence could discourage voter participation and undermine confidence in the electoral process.

“We sound a stern note of caution to all relevant stakeholders—the State Government, political parties, candidate campaign structures, local government administrators, and security agencies—that the peace and stability of Osun State must not be sacrificed on the altar of desperate political ambitions,” he added.

The group urged political parties to disband informal security outfits, armed militias and political enforcement squads allegedly operating across the state.

It also called on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security, ICCES, to deploy impartial and adequate security personnel to polling units and collation centres across Osun’s 332 wards.

TOM maintained that security agencies should guarantee the safety of voters and election officials, stating that a credible election could only be achieved in an atmosphere free from intimidation, harassment and violence.

The organisation also expressed concern over what it alleged were politically motivated arrests, arbitrary detentions and selective law enforcement targeting opposition members, political activists, media commentators and other critical voices in the state.

Oyedokun-Alli alleged that some individuals had been arrested after expressing political opinions on social media or participating in peaceful political activities, describing such actions as inconsistent with constitutional democracy.

“Such practices are alien to constitutional democracy, violate fundamental human rights guaranteed under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and signal a dangerous descent towards authoritarianism,” he said.

He called on the Nigeria Police Force, the Osun State Police Command, the State Criminal Investigation Department and other security agencies, to remain neutral and professional throughout the election period.

He stressed that every suspect should be treated in accordance with the law, granted access to legal representation and arraigned within the statutory period where appropriate.

The Osun Masterminds while warning that police officers should not allow themselves to be used for partisan purposes, insisted that security institutions have a constitutional responsibility to protect all citizens irrespective of their political affiliations.