Osun Election: Police Release Environment Commissioner After Ilesa Arrest

Osun State Commissioner for Environment, Mayowa Adejoorin, who was arrested by the police in Ilesa on Saturday, has regained his freedom.

His release was announced on Sunday by the lawyer and spokesperson of the Imole Campaign Council (TICC), Pelumi Olajengbesi, in a post on his social media handle.

Olajengbesi, who accompanied the announcement with a video showing Adejoorin interacting with some party chieftains after his release, described the commissioner’s arrest as unjustified.

He wrote: “This is the story and experience of our leader, who was recklessly arrested.

“We have just secured the release of Hon. Mayowa Adejoorin, the Honourable Commissioner for Environment in Osun State, who was arrested for no reason yesterday in Ilesa.

“The Inspector-General of Police has completely lost control of his men. He has repeatedly stated that he did not authorise any indiscriminate arrests, yet his men now go about arresting people for baseless reasons, reducing the Nigeria Police Force to political hunters.

“This abuse of police power must stop.”

Adejoorin’s arrest followed a shooting incident during a political party procession in Ilesa on Saturday.

The Osun State Police Command had earlier confirmed the arrest of Adejoorin and another individual identified as Odeyemi Abimbola in connection with the incident.

According to a statement issued by the command’s spokesperson, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, armed men allegedly alighted from a vehicle with registration number OSHA 04 and opened fire sporadically around the ongoing political procession.

Ojelabi said some of the suspected shooters were dressed in uniforms resembling those of personnel of the Osun State Security Network Agency, popularly known as Amotekun.

He disclosed that three persons — Tobi Ilesanmi, Wasiu Alanide and Aderemi Adedeji — sustained gunshot injuries during the incident and were taken to a hospital for medical treatment.

The police said investigations into the incident were ongoing.