LG Crisis: Police Takes Over Osun Roads

Police Officers have been stationed across major roads in Osun State to forestall breakdown of law and order as the the political crisis in the state over the control of local government continues to rage.

It was gathered that the police officers mounted roadblocks on major highways and regularly stopped vehicles for inspection.

Dtruth Insights  also gathered that the tactical squad deployed by the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, will remain at the LG secretariats until further notice.

It would be recalled that a political crisis has engulfed the state since the Appeal court judgement, which reportedly reinstated the sacked council chairmen elected under the All Progressives Congress.

The crisis, which stems from who would control the local government councils, led to the death of at least six people, including the reinstated chairman of Irewole Local Government, Remi Abass.

Also, the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission, OSSIEC, on Saturday conducted the local government election with the PDP candidates winning all the chairmanship and councillorship seats.

After the election and the subsequent swearing of the elected officials on Sunday, there was fear that members of the two major political parties may clash over the control of the local government councils.

However, the state governor, Ademola Adeleke during the swearing-in of the chairmen and councillors on Sunday, directed them to stay away from the council secretariats.

“I urge you and your councillors to please stay away from the council secretariats to avoid any clash with those whom the police had aided to forcefully occupy the local government secretariats.

“An Osun State High Court had affirmed the vacancies in both the chairman and councillors positions in all of Osun State local governments before your election on the 22nd February 2025.

“We will, therefore, rely on the judiciary to ensure a peaceful removal of those illegally occupying the local government secretariats,” he said.

Meanwhile, the APC in the state has insisted that its reinstated chairmen and councillors would continue to go to the councils, boasting that the party had the support of security operates from the federal government.

While speaking, a resident of Iree in Boripe North Local Government, Adamu Olaiya, said there was fear of political clash in the town, confirming that most of the private schools in the town asked their students to stay at home.