By Tunde Olamilekan
The lawmaker representing Ede North, Ede South, Egbedore and Ejigbo Federal Constituency, Bamidele Salam, has called out the police over the alleged harassment, unlawful detention, and public humiliation of a local government worker in Egbedore Local Government Area of Osun State.
Salam, in a statement, described the role of the Nigerian Police Force in the incident as shameful, despicable, and a gross violation of the constitution.
The lawmaker alleged that some politicians, acting with police backing, abused power and undermined the rule of law within local government administration in the state.
He called for immediate corrective action by the Inspector General of police, Mr Kayode Egbetokun, including the withdrawal of officers from what he described as illegal duties in the Osun State local government secretariats.
The lawmaker said, “I just watched a viral video and many photographs of Mr Taiwo Adebayo, a local government worker in Egbedore Local Government of Osun State, being humiliated by some politicians in the presence of the Divisional police officer of the local government, Mrs Tawakalitu Ogunniyi and some of her personnel.
“I have made findings on the facts of the matter and confirmed that Mr Adebayo, an Admin staff of the Local Government, was on lawful duty upon a directive by the NULGE for resumption of work after an 11-month strike
“Mr Adebayo was in possession of files relating to the retirement process of some local government staff who would soon be exiting service and needed to process their papers for payment of necessary benefits.
“Mr Adebayo acted with the instructions of his superior and was not in any way on an illegal assignment. The politician who was seen in the video supervising the false detention, interrogation and humiliation of the local government staff, is Mr Issa Akinwale, a man who had been sacked from the office of the Chairman of the local government by a judgement of the Federal High Court and the court of Appeal but who has like his other colleagues been occupying the council secretariat with active connivance of the police force.
“The dehumanising treatment of citizen Adebayo by the politician in the presence of law enforcement agents supervised by the Divisional Police officer in Egbedore Local Government of Osun State is despicable, condemnable and outrightly unconstitutional.
“I call for the immediate release of the staff as well as the offering of due apologies to him by the Nigerian police force. I call on the Inspector General of Police, Mr Kayode Egbetokun, to uphold the rule of law by withdrawing his men from their current illegal duties in the local government secretariats of Osun State.”
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