Fear In Osun Over Arrest Of Notorious Criminal

By Segun Adeniran

There is a palpable fear in the state of Osun following the arrest of a notorious criminal Afolabi Fadahunsi, popularly called Carlos, by men of the Nigeria Police from the Federal Criminal Investigation Department, FCID, Alagbon, Lagos.

Carlos, said to be on the payroll of the governing party in the state, the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, was arrested Saturday morning, with deadly weapons including two (2) units of Berreta guns and 56 live ammunition, by gallant officers from Lagos State before he was handed to men of the State Criminal Investigation Department, Osogbo, for further investigation and prosecution.

However, since the hand-over to officers in Osogbo, there has been rumour of the state government making efforts to circumvent the laws and get the arrested thug off the hook so as for me to continue to wreck havoc against members of the opposition APC.

Since November 27, 2022, when Adeleke was inaugurated as governor, there have been series of coordinated attacks on members of the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC, across the state, particularly in Ilesha.

Many notable cabinet members of the last administration have also been reportedly pencilled down for attacks and assassination.

“There has been an upward move in the spate of organised crime and violence associated with politics since the emergence of Senator Ademola Adeleke as Osun governor,” a human rights activist, Dayo Adereti explained while speaking to this reporter.

According to Adereti, “It is no longer news that some of the violent attacks experienced in the state in recent time are politically motivated. However, it’s frightening to understand that most of the assailants are known political enforcers ( thugs) of the ruling PDP in Osun State. They wine and dine with the ruling government. Strangely too, they wine and dine with the security agencies, especially the police, reason their arrest have not been effected even though they have long been declared wanted. What better evidence does one need to substantiate this claim than the fact that the current government handlers openly flirt with these dangerous characters.”

Adereti cited Olalekan Ajagungbade (Emir) as one of the vicious gunmen who enjoy the fraternisation and patronisation of the current Government.

In the words of Adereti, “At a time Emir Ajagungbade was a subject of police search, rumour was rife of the protection given him by Governor Adeleke. Some even said he was living under the care of the governor-elect then in order to escape police arrest. Since that time, Emir has been emboldened to carry out his dastardly activities in the state. He was not only named as member of the Adeleke transition committee, he has also been appointed as a member of the Disciplinary Committee set-up by the Osun State Government to manage motorparks in the state.”

In his own reaction, a senior lecturer in the department of social development, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Dr Kamarudeen Aderibigbe, “The arrest of the political terror, by name Afolabi Fadahunsi (Carlos) is a good development. The police from Alagbon must be stoutly saluted for the job well done. It is hoped that many criminals prowling length and breadth of the state would equally be apprehended, then brought to book to clear the state of menace caused by these devilish elements.

Unfortunately, the signal from Abere, the seat of power, is not encouraging at all. I don’t want to believe the negative news to the effect that the state governor, through his Chief Security Officer, is scheming to ensure release of the arrested Carlos, is genuine after all. Because if this is allowed to happen, it portends great danger to justice administration in the state.

The state governor should rise above this unpatriotic partisanship. Carlos must be brought to book. Other criminals ( like Bode Olakayode, popularly known as ‘Bode Itaapa,’ Solomon Adefioye Adedimeji, popularly known as ‘Solo Iwara,’ as well as their kingpin, Emir Ajagungbade), already declared wanted by the police, should be arrested without further delay. The Federal Government should help the people of Osun to effect this arrest because it is above the security agents here since they have failed to act because they are in cahoot with them.”