Civil society organisations, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), and other stakeholders on Monday staged a peaceful protest in Osogbo, Osun State, demanding the removal of the State Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gotan, over alleged failure to curb politically motivated violence and insecurity in the state.
The protesters, operating under the umbrella of the Network of Civil Society Groups, accused the police commissioner of failing to ensure accountability for political attacks and maintaining what they described as a partisan posture amid rising political tension ahead of the August 15, 2026 governorship election.
The demonstrators converged at Freedom Park before marching through major parts of Osogbo, including Old Garage, Oke-Fia and Olaiya, carrying banners and placards expressing concerns over insecurity and what they termed growing public distrust in the neutrality of the Nigeria Police Force in the state.
Some of the placards displayed inscriptions such as “Protest Against Insecurity and Police Partiality in Osun,” “Ibrahim Gotan Must Go,” “The Osun Commissioner of Police is Biased,” and “We Demand Professional, Impartial and Non-Partisan Policing in Osun.”
In a statement jointly signed by representatives of several civil society groups, including Olowu Emmanuel Aiyedun for Social Economic and Civic Rights Advocacy (SECRA), Wale Balogun (Mekunnu Koya Movement), Demola Yaya (Citizenship and Citizen Awareness Centre (CCAC), Tobiloba Richards Agboola (Good Governance Initiative (GGI), Raufu Sodiq Akinkunmi (Youths for Better Nigeria), Olanrewaju Stephen (Centre for Accountability and Democracy) and Mrs Janet Olayemi Gbadebo for Grassroots Watch, the protesters urged the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, to urgently review the security situation in Osun and take steps to guarantee a peaceful electoral environment.
The groups said they had become increasingly concerned by complaints and allegations regarding the conduct of the police command under Gotan, alleging that political thugs were being treated with leniency while incidents of political violence continued unchecked.
According to the protesters, public confidence in the police command has been weakened by a series of incidents that have raised questions about the ability of the command to provide impartial security leadership during the election period.
They cited the widespread destruction of campaign billboards across Irewole, Ayedaade, Ife, Irepodun, Oriade and Osogbo between May 8 and 9, 2026, noting that despite public outcry over the incidents, no visible accountability had been established.
The protesters also referenced the killing of Kolade Eluyera in Ikire on May 9, 2026, describing the incident as one that heightened fears of political violence and increased calls for stronger security measures in the state.
They further pointed to reported attacks on the Accord Party state secretariat, campaign offices, and the ADC state secretariat in Osogbo, as well as allegations of harassment, intimidation and recurring politically related violence, which they said had deepened public apprehension.
The groups noted that shooting incidents reported in parts of the state on June 9, 2026, which allegedly left several persons injured, had further raised concerns about the capacity of security agencies to guarantee public safety and electoral peace.
They also expressed concern over reports of alleged unprofessional conduct by security personnel, including the arrest and handcuffing of the Secretary of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Osun State, Lekan Akindoju, from his residence, an incident the police later described as a mistake.
The protesters warned that growing insecurity and public mistrust could discourage voter participation and lead to voter apathy during the forthcoming governorship election.
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