The Inspector General of Police, (IG) Mohammmed Dikko Abubakar has been urged to probe the statement credited to a former Senator, Iyiola Omisore who told journalists at the week end that he would ‘stop and search” the convoy of the Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.
“This renewed call to arms, lawlessness and clear affront against the will of the people of Osun demands urgent intervention from the police authorities. Mr Omisore’s statement has affirmed that he and his gang are behind the subversive report concocted by the Department for State Security, (DSS) and that the sole aim of the report was to cause religious crisis and social mayhem in the South West”, a statement issued in Ibadan on Monday afternoon, and signed by the O’odua Nationalist Coalition, (ONAC) General Secretary, Mr Pius Soleye noted.
The group said that having failed to nail the Osun Governor on sponsored frivolous security report, the PDP, through Mr Omisore is now “going for the kill, ready to violently confront the Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Aregbesola’s and his convoy apparently with armed thugs.”
ONAC is a coalition of 25 Pan-Yoruba groups. The group said the threat by Mr Omisore to “stop and search” the convoy of an elected governor represents an open declaration of the intention of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) to ambush, dislocate, disrupt, assault the convoy of an elected governor and possibly kill him.
No nation that is worth its salt should tolerate this rabid and proclaimed thirst for the blood of a serving governor in the name of politics, not even the 13th Century era of the despotic Bashorun Gaa would tolerate this.
ONAC stated that since Mr Omisore is not entitled to and not accorded with armed security escort and since searching the convoy of an elected governor is not even on the legitimate menu of the Nigerian security operatives, this boastful declaration of his ill intention and daring affront on the Nigerian constitution can only be carried out through the force of illegal arms.
“We call on the Inspector General of Police to interrogate Mr Omisore. We suspect that he and his gang may carry out their plan as espoused by him to attack the convoy of the governor of Osun State. The statement is wild, reckless and shows the unhidden desperation of a political class that is bent on eliminating an elected governor.”
Mr Omisore is notorious for thuggery. He has been linked in the past with a string of violence that has taken place in Osun State and even his home town Ile-Ife, and he appears to beat his chest continuously on his notoriety for sadism. Shortly before Chief Bola Ige was killed, he had told the press that the former Minister of
Justice would be harmed. He was the main suspect after the Minister was killed though he was later released through the political influence of his political party.
“Mr Omisore’s statement is an open call to arms in a democracy. It is curious that Mr Omisore made a similar statement at Ile-Ife shortly before Chief Bola Ige was killed. He has made this statement at Ile Ife again. Apart from the continuous desecration of the sacred place of Ile-Ife in world historical affairs-the cradle of the Yoruba-Mr Omisore has proved continuously that he is given to violence, brigandage and bloodletting. We see clearly that Mr Omisore has personalized the contest for power in Osun State.
His description of Ogbeni Aregbesola as a “common electronic” shows his contempt for professionals whose skill form the bedrock of any industrial society. “We call on the IG to step into this matter before it is too late. Omisore should have been put to jail in advanced democracies for this kind of murderous hate speech.
