Men of the Nigeria Police Force and operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, have clashed in Osun State.
Adeleke Kehinde, the spokesperson of the Osun NSCDC Command, in a statement on Friday, revealed that the problem started on Tuesday, October 22, 2024 at about 8pm when a group of individuals in “Ankara” clothes with only jacket on top, claiming to be police officers, drove recklessly into Elizabeth Estate with a private Toyota Sienna vehicle.
She added that they entered the estate, which is secured by the personnel of the NSCDC, Osun State Command, to purportedly arrest a suspect.
The statement reads, “A disturbing incident of barbaric police brutality occurred on Tuesday, October 22, 2024, around 8pm, at Elizabeth Estate in Osogbo, Osun State, when a group of individuals claiming to be police officers in “ANKARA ” cloth with only jacket on top, drove recklessly into the estate with a private sienna vehicle, entered the estate, which is secured by the personnel of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Osun State Command, to purportedly arrest a suspect.
“The personnel of NSCDC on duty, as trained officers, requested for means of identification which the individuals who claimed to be policemen failed to provide. Instead they resorted to intimidations . After their failure to identify themselves they left the premises of the estate.
“The situation escalated the following day, Wednesday, October 23, 2024, when a group of police numbering about twenty(20) drove into the estate and descended on one NSCDC personnel, physically assaulting him and inflicting grevious bodily harm on him. The video of the incident is attached to the statement.
“The officer’s uniform was torn, he was brutalized beyond description, disarmed, handcuffed like a common criminal, and forcefully taken to Ataoja Division before being moved to the Police State Headquarters.
“Efforts to resolve the issue amicably were made by the Commandant of NSCDC, Osun State command, Dr. Michael Adaralewa, who raised a team of senior officers, who visited the Police Headquarters. However, the police refused to release the detained NSCDC personnel.
“They concocted unfounded lies of deflation of their vehicle tyres. When the team asked if the same vehicle was still at the scene, they said no, then the questions we asked if any vulcanizer fix the tyres. “No” was the answer. The team also demanded if the vehicle was towed. The answer was also negative. The big question then is how did the vehicle that conveyed the policemen leave the incident scene?
“Unfortunately, despite assurances by the police team that immediately NSCDC confirmed the identity of the officer in their custody, he would be released, a confirmation letter was taken to police state headquarters, yet they never released him since Wednesday 23rd October, 2024. He was just released this afternoon, today Friday, 25th, after he had been made to undergo more humiliating treatment in the hands of policemen on duty.
The Osun NSCDC Commandant, Michael Adaralewa, demanded an investigation into the matter.
He said, “We demand there should be no sacred cow in the matter, and we are not going to allow the matter to be swept under the rug.”
Also, reacting through a statement, the spokesperson of the Osun Police Command, Yemisi Opalola disclosed that the police personnel were from the Oyo State Police Command.
She said they were on a mission to arrest a suspected criminal.
Opalola said the NSCDC personnel prevented them from arresting the criminal and in the process, beat up and injured two police officers and deflated the tires of their vehicle.
The statement reads, “The Osun State Police Command wishes to inform the general public and set the record straight that: Policemen came from Oyo State on investigation activities to an Estate in Osogbo to arrest a suspected criminal.
“They met Civil defence personnel guarding the place who prevented them from arresting the criminal and in the process; beat-up and injured two police officers and deflated the tires of their vehicle.
“The Policemen thereafter called for reinforcement from the nearest Division around the place. Upon arrival of the reinforcement, the Policemen were rescued and one of the Civil Defence personnel who assaulted the Police officers and prevented them from performing their lawful duty was arrested and taken to State CID for investigation.”
She added that investigation into the incident is still continuing.