The Network of Osun Civil Society Groups on Monday staged a peaceful protest in Osogbo, calling for the immediate redeployment of the Osun State Commissioner of Police, CP Ibrahim Gotan, over alleged bias, rising insecurity concerns, and declining public confidence in policing ahead of the August 15, 2026 governorship election.
The protesters marched from Freedom Park to Olaiya in Osogbo, carrying placards and chanting solidarity songs while demanding urgent intervention by the Inspector-General of Police.
Speaking during the protest, Secretary of the group, Raufu Sodiq (Oluomo Success), said residents of the state had lost confidence in the police command, alleging that recent incidents of political violence had not been properly addressed.
He said the state’s reputation for peace and civility was being threatened by what he described as partisan conduct within the security architecture.
“Osun State is tired. We are known as the people of Omoluabi, but we are tired of someone who is partisan. We are not supporting any political party here. Some days ago, there was a shooting, and the Commissioner of Police has not made a single arrest. We don’t want him again,” he said.
Also speaking, the Executive Director of Social Economic and Civic Rights Advocacy (SECRA), Comrade Olowu Emmanuel, urged the Inspector-General of Police to immediately redeploy the Osun State Commissioner of Police, insisting that the current security leadership had failed to inspire public trust.
He said repeated incidents of political violence and destruction of campaign materials across the state had not been matched with arrests or prosecutions, raising fears of impunity.
“In the past two months, there has been a political crisis, and even billboards of political parties have been torn down by political actors, yet no set of people have been paraded or charged to court or arrested,” he said.
Olowu warned that if urgent action was not taken, the situation could lead to voter apathy during the forthcoming governorship election.
“If we do not act very fast, there will be voter apathy on election day, which is going to lead to people being disenfranchised. We want someone who will not be biased. The Commissioner of Police should be transferred to another state,” he added.
Also speaking, the convener of the Agbekoya movement, Wale Balogun, also expressed concern over the role of the police command in the forthcoming election, warning against any form of alleged federal influence or manipulation of the electoral process.
Balogun said the group had lost confidence in the ability of the current Commissioner of Police to guarantee neutrality and credible security during the August 15 governorship poll, recalling past political crises in Nigeria’s electoral history.
“We are no longer confident in the Commissioner of Police to provide security for the August 15 election. In 1993, federal might was used to impose and rig elections, which led to a serious crisis. We do not want a repetition of what happened in 1964 or other political crises in this country,” he said.
The civil society coalition, in its earlier statement, had listed several security incidents across Osun State, including the vandalisation of political billboards in Irewole, Ayedaade, Ife, Irepodun, Oriade and Osogbo between May 8 and 9, 2026.
It also referenced the killing of Mr. Kolade Eluyera in Ikire on May 9, 2026, alongside reported attacks on political party secretariats and campaign offices in Osogbo.
The group further cited recent shooting incidents reported on June 9, 2026, which allegedly left several persons injured, describing them as part of a growing pattern of insecurity in the state.
The Network said its demand for redeployment was not an accusation of guilt against the police commissioner but a preventive step aimed at restoring public confidence and ensuring a peaceful electoral process.
It urged security agencies to intensify investigations into all cases of political violence and ensure prosecution of offenders, regardless of political affiliation, while calling on electoral and civic institutions to strengthen voter confidence ahead of the election.
