Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has declared that he does not condone criminality, urging security agencies to arrest anyone involved in crime, including members of his family.
Adeleke made the statement on Friday while responding to the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, during a courtesy visit to the Government House in Osogbo, the state capital.
The governor’s remarks followed charges by the IGP that the Osun State Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gotan, had informed him that some criminal individuals wanted by the police were supposedly hiding in the Government House.
In response, Adeleke denied protecting criminals and asked the police to arrest anyone discovered to have committed an offense.
“If you see any of my people that committed a crime, arrest them. If it is my son who committed a crime, arrest him; let him learn his lesson, and that is what I am saying in front of the IGP,” he said.
The governor, on the other hand, accused some police officers of engaging in “games” while carrying out their jobs, citing the alleged transfer of an officer who arrested a suspect in the killing of a 14-year-old child in Ilobu.
“But for you to be playing all these games and everything like that, the person that they killed, a 14-year-old boy in Ilobu, because the police officer did a good job under the directive of the Inspector General of Police and arrested the suspect that killed the boy, you transferred the officer,” Adeleke said.
He applauded the IGP for pledging to address indiscipline within the Nigeria Police Force but urged officers to remain professional and impartial.
“I am glad the Inspector General of Police is here today, and he has said it openly that he will not tolerate any act of indiscipline, and he has given you a warning that he will not tolerate crime. That is why I am happy.
“If you change tomorrow, I will continue to cooperate with the police. Police are our friends. We are not fighting the police, but you have to do right,” the governor added.
