Osun

Osun APC Accuses Adeleke Of Weaponizing Amotekun, Demands Release Of Detained Chiefs

ByHafsoh Isiaq

PublishedJune 4, 2025

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State has raised the alarm over what it described as the “state-sponsored oppression” and “rising tyranny” under the administration of Governor Ademola Adeleke, accusing the government of using the Osun State Security Network, known as Amotekun Corps, to target and oppress opposition members across the state.

In a statement released after a press conference held on Wednesday at the Ilerioluwa Campaign Office in Osogbo, the APC called for the immediate and unconditional release of traditional chiefs allegedly arrested and detained illegally by the Amotekun Corps in Itaapa, Atakumosa East Local Government Area.

The party’s Director of Media and Information, Mogaji Kola Olabisi, who addressed journalists, condemned what he described as the “gross misconduct and abuse of office” by the Adeleke-led administration, alleging that the Amotekun Corps has been turned into a partisan militia acting on the orders of the governor.

“Governor Adeleke has turned Amotekun into a tool of oppression, used to terrorise members of the opposition, especially the APC,” Olabisi alleged. “The recent arrest and continued illegal detention of ten prominent traditional chiefs from Itaapa is a clear example of this abuse of power.”

According to him, those arrested include Chief Adeyeri Olalekan, Chief Adeyeri Ladele, Chief Adeyeri Adeyeye, Chief Ariyo Dare, and Chief Ogunsola Oladele. They were allegedly re-arrested days after being granted administrative bail.

“These respected community leaders are being punished for taking initiative to protect their community. Instead of being commended, they are now being treated like criminals,” Olabisi said.

He further accused the Field Commander of Amotekun, Mr. Adekunle Omoyele, a retired Chief Superintendent of Police, of orchestrating the arrests. He claimed Omoyele has a questionable human rights record and was previously indicted by the judicial panel on police brutality.

“Omoyele’s past is tainted. The same man who was recommended for prosecution and demotion by the panel that investigated SARS-related abuses is now the one heading a security outfit that is intimidating innocent citizens,” he stated.

The APC also called for the urgent intervention of top security authorities, including the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun; the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu; and the Director General of the Department of State Services, Adeola Ajayi.

“We call on the IGP, the NSA, and all well-meaning Nigerians to come to the aid of Osun residents who are now at the mercy of political thugs in uniform,” Olabisi pleaded.

He claimed that Amotekun has become a haven for “daredevil cultists, political thugs, and dismissed police officers” and has exceeded its constitutional mandate.

“It is alarming that a supposed complementary security outfit now engages in illegal arrests, prolonged detentions, and even economic sabotage. They extort trailer drivers, interfere in civil matters, and undermine statutory security agencies,” he alleged.

In his words: “Osun Amotekun now operates a dingy underground detention cell at their headquarters on Ikirun Road, Power-Line Area, Osogbo, where many APC members are being kept incommunicado. Their families do not know their whereabouts.”

The party called for a complete overhaul of the Amotekun Corps in Osun, or its disbandment, citing the security agency’s loss of public trust and its alleged descent into lawlessness.

“The Amotekun Corps in its current form has become an instrument of injustice. If nothing is done urgently, the people of Osun may lose faith completely in the ability of the government to protect them,” Olabisi warned.

As of the time of filing this report, the state government and the Amotekun Corps leadership are yet to issue a formal response to the allegations.

Hafsoh Isiaq

Hafsoh Isiaq is a graduate of Linguistics. An avid writer committed to creative, high-quality research and news reportage. She has considerable experience in writing and reporting across a variety of platforms including print and online.