The Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has convened an emergency meeting of the State Security Council to address the recent clash between personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Nigeria Police Force.
The intervention meeting follows reports of an alleged assault by police operatives on an NSCDC officer during his guard duty, a situation that has sparked significant public attention and raised concerns about inter-agency relations within the state.
According to reports, the incident occurred last Wednesday in Abere community, where an NSCDC officer, identified simply as Owoeye, was reportedly assaulted and subsequently detained by the police while stationed at an estate.
It was gathered that Videos of the incident have since circulated widely on social media, showing a man in an Ankara-print outfit with a jacket marked “POLICE” prominently, who appeared to be involved in a physical altercation with the NSCDC officer. In one clip, a man in the police jacket is seen slapping the NSCDC operative, who then attempts to defend himself and disarm his assailant.
Other voices in the videos alleged that multiple police officers were involved in the assault against the NSCDC personnel on duty at Elizabeth Estate.
In response, Governor Adeleke issued a statement through his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, confirming that the State Security Council will meet in the coming week to address the situation. The governor expressed concern over the open clash between two security agencies, calling for a comprehensive review of the events and briefing from relevant officials, led by Deputy Governor Prince Kola Adewusi, who has been engaged in initial mediation efforts.
Adeleke also emphasized the importance of discipline within the state’s security forces, noting an increase in “rogue operations” and incidents of police-civilian confrontations. He called upon the heads of security agencies to enforce operational standards and codes of conduct, underlining the need for all personnel to uphold the values of civil-security cooperation that Osun State is known for.
The governor stressed that the state cannot afford to compromise its reputation as one of Nigeria’s most peaceful states and cautioned against any actions that might jeopardize this standing.
“Our commanders must enforce discipline and ensure operational rules are strictly followed. Rogue operations and civilian harassment are on the rise, and we now have inter-service confrontations. These issues will be directly addressed at the upcoming Security Council meeting,” the statement read.
In a related development, the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), a prominent civil society organization, has called on the Police Service Commission to investigate the alleged assault on the NSCDC officer.
In a statement signed by its Osun State chairman, Mr. Emmanuel Olowu, the CDHR condemned the incident and urged stakeholders within Nigeria’s security system, as well as domestic and international civil society organizations, to advocate for a thorough investigation and accountability for those involved.
