Taiwo Popoola
The Osun State Government has raised alarm over the alleged shooting to near death in police custody of the Chairman of Osun Transport Management System, Iyanda Alowonle, over a domestic matter.
This is as the state government also sought the arrest, transfer and prosecution of Moses Lohor, the Head of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad of the Osun State Police Command.
Alowonle was apprehended by operatives of the Osun State Police Command Anti-Kidnapping Squad on Monday night.
It was also gathered from a police source that Alowonle sustained injuries after he allegedly tried to escape.
Alowonle was arrested for having a Nigerian police-issued pistol and ammunition.
The state government, in a statement signed by Kolapo Alimi, the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, on Tuesday evening, revealed that Alowonle is presently on life support at the Intensive Care Unit of the Osun State Teaching Hospital, UTH, after a gunshot wound in the abdomen while in the custody of the police at Osogbo.
The statement said: “Video clips of Alowonle in handcuffs and under interrogation circulating in the media space dispelled any excuse that the park chairman was trying to escape. “The fact that he was shot in the abdomen as video from his hospital bed confirmed proved that he was shot at close range with intent to eliminate him.
“Interactions between the Special Adviser on Security Matters to the State Governor, Mr Samuel Ojo and the Head of Anti-Kidnapping Squad, Moses Lohor, provided direct proof that the incident was premeditated to murder Mr Alowonle.
“We also note that the issue that generated the purported arrest was a civil matter, not criminally related to have warranted the involvement of Mr Moses Lohor, the head of the anti-kidnapping squad, except for the repeat of a recent pattern of police harassment of officials of the state government on partisan motivation.
“The programmed attempted murder of Mr Alowonle is just one in the series of shootings and attacks on officials of the state by the head of anti-kidnapping squad, who regularly acted with impunity and who has not hidden his vow to eliminate supporters of the state government.
“As we summoned several meetings to calm frayed nerves today, we struggled hard to stop reprisal attacks against police establishments across the state due to what the public now sees as police partisan conduct in breach of the law.
“As we regret a situation in which law enforcers are becoming a threat to peace and stability of the state, the state government, therefore, demands the Inspector General of Police and the National Security Adviser to take judicious note of the increasing breach of state peace by the hostile conduct of some police officers who now shot at innocent civilians and suspects at will.
“We call for the immediate arrest and prosecution of Mr Moses Lohor, the Head of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad for his wilful act of attempted murder.
“We demand police impartiality and commitment to rule of law without fixation on partisan considerations. We also call the attention of the National Security Adviser to the increasing threat to peace in Osun State amidst threat to unleash violence ahead of 2026 election.
“We call on the Inspector General of Police to rise to the occasion and abandon any signal that may portray him as acting against Osun peace and stability.”
