A human rights group, Advocacy for Advancement of Peace & Harmony in Africa Initiative (ADAPHAI) has demanded the immediate removal of the Divisional Police Officer of Dugbe Police Division in Osogbo, CSP Oyegade Akinloye, for assaulting a journalist, Mr Sikiru Obarayese.
This was contained in a statement issued on Thursday, signed by Comrade Sulaimon Suberu, the National Co-ordinator of the group, the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba and the Osun State Commissioner of Police, Mr Wale Olokode were asked to remove the DPO with immediate effect.
It described the DPO as a serious threat to democracy and society at large adding that Oyegade is a tyrant in police uniform.
“The attention of our organisation has been drawn to the dastardly and bestial behaviours of police officers from Dugbe police station in Osogbo, Osun State, led by the Divisional Police Officer, CSP Oyegade Akinloye, during a peaceful protest by youths to commemorate the 2020 EndSars struggle.
“While we were taken aback by the absurdity of police reactions to peaceful demonstration in the state, we were further devastated by the aberrant disposition of these uniform men on the directive of notorious CSP Oyegade Akinloye, to descend heavily on Journalist, who was performing his lawful duty without constituting any threat whatsoever.
“That CSP Akinloye is notorious of violation of human rights and display of temperamental tendency that is unbecoming of police officer of his status is not a news, he is famous of manipulating judicial process to get a pound of flesh of assumed enemies.
“The manner in which a Correspondent of Daily Post Online Newspaper, Mr Sikiru Obarayese, was mercilessly tortured and hurriedly dragged to court within an hour for arraignment on spurious charges speaks volume of the type of police officer CSP Akinloye represents.
“Such barbaric directive to clampdown on essential ingredients of democracy like media, by law enforcement agent, is practically antithetical to rule of law and democratic ethos, as well as a great danger to any society.
Sikiru Obarayese during his arraignment at Osogbo Magisterate’s Court
“We therefore considered officers like CSP Akinloye, as a serious threat to democracy and society at large; officers of his type should not be allowed to superintend activities of young policemen in any capacities.
“It is on that note that we call on Police authorities to quickly remove CSP Oyegade Akinloye from Dugbe police station and urgently conduct mental evaluation on him to ascertain the cause of his unprovoked anger for appropriate action,” the group said.
