Adeleke’s commissioner, spokesperson, others sue IGP over alleged rights violations

Senior media officials of the Osun State Government have instituted a fundamental rights enforcement suit against the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Nigeria Police Force at the Federal High Court in Osogbo.

The applicants include the Commissioner for Information, Hon. Kolapo Alimi; the Governor’s Spokesperson, Mallam Olawale Rasheed; and other top media aides of Governor Ademola Adeleke. The suit, filed on Friday, accuses the police of harassment, intimidation and threats in the course of their official duties.

In a statement issued on Friday, Mallam Rasheed said the applicants were compelled to approach the court following repeated threats by police officers to arrest and detain state media officials. He alleged that operatives of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had made several attempts to deploy the police to suppress and intimidate government media aides.

According to the statement, the officials cited recent arrests, open threats and alleged plans to continue such actions as justification for seeking judicial intervention, particularly as the August 8 governorship election approaches.

An affidavit in support of the suit was deposed to by one of the applicants, Mr. Hezekiah Oladele Olabamiji, a Senior Special Assistant to the Governor. He accused some sections of the police of working in concert with unnamed politicians, especially members of the APC, to arrest, intimidate and harass Osun State officials.

The applicants contend that these actions constitute a violation of their fundamental rights as guaranteed under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and are seeking the court’s protection against further alleged abuses.