By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola
The Osun State All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship Campaign Council has accused Governor Ademola Adeleke of shielding high-profile criminal suspects, including a murder suspect allegedly traced to the residence of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), to secure electoral advantage ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
The allegation was made on Thursday, 30 July, 2026, at a press conference addressed by the Campaign Council in Osogbo, where party chieftains disclosed that Abiodun Oladele Arowomole, popularly known as “Abbey Ashipa,” was arrested by law enforcement agents at the residence of the SSG, Alhaji Teslim Igbalaye.
The Media Head of the APC Campaign Council, Engr. Oluremi Omowaiye, who addressed journalists at the event, alleged that Governor Adeleke was working frantically to secure the release of Arowomole from police custody.
He explained that the suspect had evaded arrest by the Nigerian Police for nearly four years and had been linked to the murder of no fewer than 20 people, many of whom, he said, were members of the APC.
Omowaiye listed some of the victims allegedly killed by the suspect to include Sheriff Oyewale, Muraina Olayiwola, also known as “Montanna,” and Kazeem Oyebamiji, alias “Mosquito.”
He further alleged that the suspect participated in a church attack in Egbatedo in June 2024 alongside other suspected thugs, an operation that led to the death of a bystander and the recovery of eight pump-action shotguns by the police.
Speaking further, Omowaiye described the alleged shielding of the suspect as an assault on the rule of law and demanded the immediate dismissal of Igbalaye for allegedly harbouring a fugitive.
“Osun APC Campaign Council wants the whole world to know that shielding a wanted suspect constitutes a direct assault on the rule of law and Nigeria’s criminal justice system, and we demand the immediate dismissal of Igbalaye, for harboring a fugitive,” he said.
He also named other individuals he described as questionable characters allegedly used by the governor to secure electoral victory.
“A governor who is genuinely popular would not need the services of terrors such as Emir Ajagungbade, Nurudeen Alawonle, Abbey Ashipa, Solo Iwara, or other questionable characters to secure electoral victory,” Omowaiye said.
He urged the governor to rise above political pettiness and allow the investigative process to run its course.
“Governor Adeleke should rise above political pettiness, lower his desperation for second term and fully cooperate with law enforcement agencies and allow the investigative process to run its course,” he added.
Also speaking at the event, the Director-General of the Osun Central Campaign Council, Prince Adebayo Adeleke, said the arrest of the suspect at the SSG’s residence confirmed long-standing suspicions that the state government had been harbouring criminals in official quarters.
He, however, cautioned members of the public against what he described as blackmail tactics allegedly being deployed by the state government to discredit the police ahead of the election.
Adebayo Adeleke queried the recent release of several suspects who were still standing trial for criminal offences, urging Nigerians to demand accountability from relevant state authorities.
“I want Nigerians to help ask why several hardened criminals on trial had recently been released, we should question the Governor, Chief Judge, and State Attorney General to reveal the parameters used for release of the criminals,” he stated.
He questioned the timing of the releases, which came weeks to the election, and wondered why convicted persons who had completed trial were not considered instead.
“Why would a governor choose some weeks to the August 15 election date to release criminals who were still standing trials? Is the governor telling us that there are no convicts who had stood trial that is worthy of release?” he asked.
He added that clemency decisions ought to be guided by clear legal and humanitarian considerations rather than political expediency.
“Before granting a prerogative of mercy pardon, a Governor should evaluate a combination of legal, behavioral, and humanitarian factors to balance compassion with public safety,” he said.
In her remarks, a former Commissioner for Information in the state and Co-Chairman of the Media Campaign Council, Mrs. Funke Egbemode, expressed concern over the security situation in the state, describing the reported defence of a fugitive by a sitting governor as embarrassing.
She linked the rising incidents of political violence in Osun to an alleged scare tactic aimed at suppressing voter turnout ahead of the poll.
The APC Campaign Council commended the professionalism of the Osun State Police Command and the Inspector-General of Police Special Squad, while calling for the prosecution of criminal elements across all political parties without exception.
