The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State has accused the administration of Governor Ademola Adeleke of attempting to cover up the alleged fake kidnapping of the governor’s aide, Shakiru Babatunde, and blame the incident on the opposition party.
The allegation was contained in a statement issued on Wednesday by the APC Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi.
The party urged the police not to succumb to pressure from government officials to abandon the investigation, insisting that any suspect arrested in connection with the incident should face the law.
The APC alleged that the purported kidnapping was intended to portray the party negatively, incite members of the public against it and blame the Federal Government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for worsening insecurity.
“We gathered that the intention of the kidnap conspirators was to demonise the Osun State APC and incite the public against them as well and criminalise the Federal Government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a failed administration under whose nose criminality has festered,” the party said.
It further alleged that the incident was aimed at undermining Tinubu’s chances of securing re-election in January 2027.
The party also claimed that faking a kidnapping constituted a criminal offence and alleged that some state government officials, working with security personnel, were attempting to prevent the matter from being properly investigated.
The APC appealed to the Osun State Commissioner of Police, CP Ibrahim D. Zungura, to give the case particular attention and ensure that anyone found culpable was dealt with according to the law.
However, the state government rejected the allegations, saying it was supporting the police investigation into the incident.
The governor’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, described claims that government officials were attempting to suppress the investigation as “unfounded and baseless conjectures”.
Rasheed said the state government had reported the alleged kidnapping to the police immediately after it occurred, arguing that there was therefore no reason for the government to obstruct the investigation.
“We categorically denied the fake news that there were attempts by the state officials to bribe the police to sweep the matter under the carpet. Such reports are unfounded and baseless conjectures,” he said.
“Nobody in the government is attempting to bribe the police and the police have not received any kobo from state officials as libelously asserted in a publication.
“The police are currently investigating the matter while the state government is also waiting for the outcome of the investigation for further action,” Rasheed added.
He urged members of the public to disregard what he described as misinformation intended to damage the reputation of government officials or the police.
According to him, relevant police units are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the alleged kidnapping.
