- Osun Government Media Aides Sue IGP, Police Over Alleged Rights Violations
- Applicants allege harassment and threats by police operatives.
- Suit linked to rising political tension ahead of August election.
Top media officials of the Osun State Government have dragged the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the Nigeria Police Force before the Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo over alleged violations of their fundamental rights.
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EKO HOT BLOG reports that the suit was filed on Friday by the Osun State Commissioner for Information, Kolapo Alimi, the spokesperson to the governor, Olawale Rasheed, and other senior media aides.
The applicants accused the police of harassment, intimidation and threats aimed at disrupting the lawful discharge of their official duties.
They alleged that there had been repeated attempts by operatives linked to the All Progressives Congress to deploy police officers to suppress and intimidate state media officials.
According to the applicants, the police had threatened to arrest and detain them, actions they described as a clear infringement of their constitutionally guaranteed rights.
They cited recent arrests and what they described as open threats by some police officers to continue such actions, arguing that the court action became necessary to prevent further violations as the August 8 governorship election approaches.
The officials maintained that the alleged actions of the police were politically motivated and designed to silence state officials in the buildup to the election.
The affidavit in support of the suit was deposed to by one of the applicants, a Senior Special Assistant to the governor, Hezekiah Oladele Olabamiji.
In the affidavit, Olabamiji accused the police of acting in concert with unnamed politicians, particularly members of the APC, to arrest, harass and intimidate Osun State officials.
He argued that the actions amounted to a violation of the applicants’ fundamental rights as guaranteed under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
