TUNDE ADELEKE, Osogbo
The Concerned Osun Civil Society Groups have called on the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to remove the Officer-in-Charge of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Osun State Police Command, SP Moses Lohor, within seven days or face mass protest.
Egbetokun was urged to institute an investigation into the alleged shooting of Osun State Transport Management System (OSTMS) Chairman, Wakili Nurudeen.
Addressing a press conference in Osogbo on Wednesday, spokesperson of the group, Stephen Olanrewaju, berated the arrest and shooting of the transport workers’ boss, noting that the act is capable of truncating the peaceful coexistence of the state. According to him, the inexcusable shooting of the Chairman of the OSTMS, Nurudeen Alowonle, by men of the Nigerian Police Anti-kidnapping Squad headed by Moses Lohor in the early hours of Tuesday, November 19, 2024, is not only condemnable but unlawful and totally unacceptable.
“The claim that Alowonle attempted to escape and was shot cannot hold water because the victim was shot in the abdomen. Common sense dictates that a suspect trying to escape will ordinarily have his back facing the police and not the other way around.
“We demand the urgent intervention of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, in the thorough investigation of the matter and dispensation of justice to erring officers, especially OC of the anti-kidnapping unit, SP Moses Lohor, whose leadership has been filled with cases of attacks on innocent citizens.
“We seek the immediate removal of Lohor. We recall that not quite long ago, some members of various political groups perceived to be against the current Federal Government were arrested on the orders of SP Lohor in connection with some political actors to silence opposition voices ahead of the 2026 Governorship Election.
“However, if Lohor is not removed within a week, we will embark on a mass protest that may lead to another round of #EndBadGovernance”, the group stated.
Meanwhile, the National Association of Nigerian Students Joint Campus Council (NANS JCC), Osun Axis, has also called for investigation into the crisis between the police and OSTMS with a view to restoring peace in the state and allowing transporters to return service to ease suffering among students after the suspension of their service.
Daily Champion gathered that the OSTMS suspended transport service in the state, in solidarity for Alowonle, leaving residents stranded on Wednesday.
The student body stated: “NANS JCC Osun Axis demands thorough investigation into the ongoing crisis between the police and Osun State Transport Management System leadership with a view to restoring peace in the state and allowing transporters to return service to ease suffering among students due to suspension of their service.”
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