APC, Osun Govt Clash Over Alleged Self-Kidnap Of Adeleke’s Media Aide

By Ayobami Agboola, Osogbo

The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the state government have disagreed over the circumstances surrounding the reported arrest of Shakiru Babatunde, a media aide to Governor Ademola Adeleke, over an alleged self-kidnapping incident.

While the APC accused the state government of attempting to use the incident to heat up the polity and discredit the Federal Government, the government dismissed the allegations, insisting that the police were investigating the matter without interference.

The controversy followed reports that Babatunde was arrested by police Operatives, after allegedly staging his own abduction.

In a statement on Wednesday, the APC, through its spokesperson, Kola Olabisi, alleged that some state government officials had earlier announced the aide’s purported abduction on social media and blamed the opposition for the incident.

The party claimed that Babatunde had confessed to the alleged offence while in police custody, but alleged that efforts were being made by some government officials to prevent the matter from receiving proper investigation.

The APC said, “According to sources, Babatunde’s arrest had been announced by other officials of the state government through their individual social media handles, demonising and shifting the blame on the opposition APC as being responsible for the imaginary and false kidnap.”

The opposition party further alleged that the purported incident was intended to portray the APC negatively and create public sentiment against the Federal Government.

It urged the Osun State Commissioner of Police, CP Ibrahim D. Zungura, to ensure that the matter was thoroughly investigated and that no individual involved was allowed to escape justice.

“We are appealing to the state Commissioner of Police, CP Ibrahim D. Zungura, to pay particular attention to this case to serve as a deterrent to future criminal acts,” Olabisi said.

However, the state government rejected the allegations, maintaining that it was the government that initially reported the purported abduction to the police and had not interfered with the investigation.

In a statement signed by the Governor’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, the government said it was aware of the reported case involving the media aide and had left the matter in the hands of the police.

“Our attention has been drawn to a reported case of self-kidnapping by one of the governor’s media aides, Shakirulahi Babatunde. We immediately want the public to know that the police are investigating the matter without any pressure from the state government,” Rasheed said.

He explained that after the aide reportedly sent a text message claiming that he had been kidnapped, an incident report was immediately lodged with the police on the instruction of the Chief of Staff, Kazeem Akinleye, and the matter was subsequently reported to the Anti-Kidnapping Squad.

Rasheed described as false the allegation that the Chief of Staff or any other government official was attempting to frustrate the police investigation.

“It was therefore falsehood from the pit of hell to assert that the Chief of Staff or any state official was trying to prevent the police from conducting investigation into a matter which the state government originally reported to the police service,” he said.

The government also denied the allegation that its officials attempted to bribe police officers to suppress the case.

“We categorically deny the fake news that there were attempts by the state officials to bribe the police to sweep the matter under the carpet. Such reports are unfounded and baseless conjectures.

“Nobody in the government is attempting to bribe the police, and the police have not received any kobo from state officials as libelously asserted in a publication,” the statement added.

Rasheed said the government would await the outcome of the police investigation before deciding on further action.

“The police are currently investigating the matter while the state government is also waiting for the outcome of the investigation for further action.

“Governor Adeleke and top state officials are committed to transparency and law enforcement. No state official would therefore be involved in preventing law enforcement agencies from exercising their mandate,” he stated.