A former presidential spokesman, Laolu Akande, has criticised the Osun State Police Command over what he described as inadequate information surrounding the arrest of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Teslim Igbalaye.
Akande, who served as spokesperson to former Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, said the police had failed to provide a comprehensive account of the operation, thereby fuelling public suspicion.
Naijaonpoint reports that he stated this on Wednesday while speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily.
The Osun State Police Command had earlier announced the arrest of Igbalaye during an operation linked to an investigation into alleged vote-buying in Osogbo.
Akande said the police ought to have given a detailed explanation of the circumstances surrounding the arrest, particularly because of the public office occupied by the SSG.
“The police have not given us sufficient information about their activities in Osun State regarding those arrests, and because of that, there is a lot of suspicion about what is happening, and then they are now allowing the Accord Party spokesman to have a few days to call you out to challenge what you have done,” he said.
According to him, the command’s handling of the matter had created room for speculation.
Akande maintained that while the SSG does not enjoy constitutional immunity from arrest, the police owed Nigerians a clearer explanation of the allegations under investigation.
“The police in Osun State need to give us a proper, comprehensive briefing of the suspected criminal activity, especially the one in which the SSG is involved with. The SSG is the number three in the state.
“Yes, if he were to be arrested, he has no immunity, but that’s a serious matter. It’s not that you give us information that you found two PVCs in his house without telling us the implication and what else you are trying to investigate.
“So, the police in Osun State have not done very well,” he added.
