Osun State governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, has called on the Chairman and members of the National Peace Committee, (NPC), to prevail on the Inspector General of Police, to release his Secretary to the State Government (SSG) from police custody.

Senator Adeleke in a speech at the peace accord signing ceremony in Osogbo, by political parties and candidates participating in the August 16 governorship election, accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of using the police to intimidate Accord Party members.

The governor said he would have boycotted the peace accord meeting “because of the violence unleashed on Osun State in the last few months,” but for the respect he has for the committee.

“Our gathering is to endorse peace but my government and people are facing police sanctioned violence and intimidation.

“War is being waged actively against my people by Osun APC openly supported by the Osun state police command,” he alleged.

The governor disclosed that Accord Party has lost eight of its members in the last three months while more than 20 others were injured in gun attacks.

He alleged that the SSG was arrested on trumped up charges, and was detained overnight after his house was raided without any court authorised search warrant.

“Top government officials are being harassed and intimidated. More than 60 Accord leaders have been arrested and moved to Abuja, and remanded in Abuja prisons and Nassarawa State prisons, including an Accord candidate for House of Representatives, Hon Alaba.

“This is supposed to be a democracy, where the police uphold the rule of law,” he added.

He wondered why they were taken to Abuja when there are both the federal and state high courts in Osun State.

“On behalf of Osun State and for the sake of the rule of law, I ask the Peace Committee to prevail upon the Inspector General of Police to return everyone in police custody.

“Those remanded in prisons should be returned to Osun State, and be charged to courts in Osun State, if the police can show that they have committed any crime,” he demanded.

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