Abuja: A group, the World Institute for Peace, has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police (I-G), Mr Olatunji Disu, over the rising political violence ahead of the Aug. 15 governorship election in Osun. The Executive Director of the group, Mr Lamina Omotoyosi, made the petition available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja. He said the petition was to ensure a peaceful electoral process in the state, adding that the security threat could degenerate into a state of emergency if decisive action was not taken immediately.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Omotoyosi stated that a similar petition had been submitted to the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Commandant General of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps. He emphasized the necessity of urgent steps to curb the trend and ensure a peaceful process before, during, and after the election. Omotoyosi mentioned that the petition followed a fresh wave of politically motivated violence due to political rivalry in the state, resulting in the death of several persons in recent months.
He warned, “If the current political violence and thuggery rocking Osun is not given the desired attention by security agencies, it will result in anarchy and, by extension, disrupt the electoral process.” Omotoyosi attributed the violence to politicians from various political parties sponsoring thuggery in the state. He mentioned that the group had previously raised similar concerns in 2023 with President Muhammadu Buhari and other security chiefs.
Omotoyosi highlighted that a similar letter was submitted on Feb. 23, 2023, and what was predicted is now replicating itself in Osun, with people losing their loved ones to political violence. He noted that about 30 lives were lost to political violence in Osun in 2022, and the tragedy was already repeating itself ahead of the coming election. Omotoyosi expressed concern that the killings could trigger reprisals and further inflame tensions in the state, making a free and fair election nearly impossible.
“There have been cases of violent crimes, resulting in brutal murders of some individuals in recent times, and if allowed to persist, there could be reprisals by those who lost their loved ones,” he noted. Omotoyosi urged security agencies to ensure that all unsolved violent crime cases connected to political activity are urgently investigated and the perpetrators brought to justice. He appealed to politicians in the state to renounce violence and respect the rule of law in the interest of the state and its residents.