By The Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adewale Olumide Egbedun, has issued a public address calling on the international community, diplomatic missions and human rights bodies to scrutinise what he described as attacks, intimidation and threats against citizens and political actors in Odo-Otin Local Government Area over the past 48 hours, two days before Saturday’s governorship election.
In the address, Egbedun said his office had received accounts alleging that armed military personnel posted to Odo-Otin, led by one Sikiru Adeboye, had been moving through communities in the area targeting leaders and members of the Accord political platform. He said the reports “must not be dismissed or politicised” and called for an immediate, independent and transparent investigation.
Among the incidents cited, Egbedun said the residence of an elderly woman, Alhaja Popoola Kuburat Ijadunola, popularly known as Mama Mi Leko and a sister of former Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola, was invaded, with two of her children taken away. He also listed alleged attacks on three other individuals named as Ayanyemi Joshua Olawale, Fasola Femi and Ajimoti Rasheed Omotayo, saying gunshots were fired during one incident and a dog belonging to Ajimoti was killed.
Speaker Alleges Release of Armed Suspects Linked to Eniade
The Speaker also raised concern over the release of three armed men who, he said, had confessed to working for Francis Eniade, the APC House of Representatives candidate for Boripe/Ifelodun/Odo-Otin, the same candidate whose video threatening non-APC voters in the area went viral earlier this week, and which Egbedun said contained threats directed at him personally.
According to Egbedun, the three suspects were arrested in Okuku a few days ago with two pump-action firearms and handed over to the Department of State Services for further investigation, but have since been released. He said he was also concerned about what he described as an attempt to intimidate him from releasing a video containing the suspects’ confessional statements, adding that such matters “deserve institutional scrutiny rather than secrecy.”
“I Cannot Be Intimidated,” Speaker Says
Egbedun said he would not be intimidated for demanding accountability, stating that anyone who has committed an offence should face the law. He argued that democracy “cannot survive where citizens are intimidated into silence” and that elections cannot be free where political actors fear attacks, arbitrary arrests, or the use of security agencies for partisan ends.
He called on the Federal Government, the DSS, the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army and other relevant authorities to investigate the allegations and make their findings public. He further urged the National Human Rights Commission, civil society organisations, election observers and international human rights institutions to closely monitor developments in Osun State and independently document any rights violations.
“Our appeal is not for the international community to take sides with any political party,” Egbedun said. “Our appeal is for the international community to stand on the side of truth, human rights, constitutional democracy and the rule of law.”
Part of a Wider Pattern in Final Days of Campaign
Egbedun’s address adds to a run of serious allegations that have marked the final days before Saturday’s poll, including viral videos attributed to Senator Francis Fadahunsi and to Eniade himself, both alleging threats against Accord members, and a separate cult-related clash in Ilesa that left three dead earlier in the week. The Adeleke campaign council has already demanded Fadahunsi’s arrest over his video, while Thursday’s INEC update showed 81.5 per cent of Osun voters have collected their PVCs ahead of the vote.
AfrikTimes has reached out to the Nigerian Army, the DSS and the Osun State Police Command for comment on the allegations raised in the Speaker’s address, as well as to Francis Eniade regarding the claims linking the released suspects to him. This report will be updated with any responses received.
