Osun Govt confirms self-k!dnap by Governor’s aide, says police still investigating
Osun Govt confirms self-kidnap by Governor’s aide, says police still investigating
The Osun State Government has confirmed that the police are still investigating the alleged self-kidnapping involving one of Governor Ademola Adeleke’s media aides, Shakirulahi Babatunde. In a statement signed by the spokesperson…
The Osun State Government has confirmed that the police are still investigating the alleged self-kidnapping involving one of Governor Ademola Adeleke’s media aides, Shakirulahi Babatunde.
In a statement signed by the spokesperson to the state governor, Mallam Olawale Rasheed on Wednesday, it said the matter was reported to the police immediately after the aide sent a message claiming he had been kidnapped.
Rasheed said the case was subsequently referred to the Anti-Kidnapping Squad of the Osun State Police Command, which he said had commenced investigation.
He stated, “It would be recalled that when the media aide sent a text message that he had been kidnapped, an incident report was immediately lodged with the police under the instruction of the Chief of Staff”
“The police are investigating the matter without any pressure from the state government.”
The spokesperson also dismissed reports that the Chief of Staff and other officials were working to prevent the investigation, describing the allegations as false.
He said, “It was therefore falsehood from the pit of hell to assert that the Chief of Staff or any state official was trying to prevent the police from conducting investigation into a matter which the state government originally reported to the police service.”
Rasheed further denied claims that government officials attempted to bribe the police to suppress the case.
According to him, “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.”
He added that the state government was awaiting the outcome of the police investigation before taking any further action.
“The police are currently investigating the matter while the state government is also waiting for the outcome of the investigation for further action,” he said.
Rasheed urged members of the public to disregard what he described as misinformation aimed at tarnishing the image of government officials and the police.
He said Governor Adeleke and other senior officials remained committed to transparency and would not interfere with the mandate of law enforcement agencies.
The government also denied allegations that the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Alhaji Kazeem Akinleye, and other top officials were attempting to stop the investigation or influence the police.
