The Osun State Government has cautioned the state police command against yielding to alleged political pressure in the handling of a suspected bandit linked to the Lameco area, warning against what it described as attempts to secure the suspect’s release on unsubstantiated psychiatric grounds.
The government’s reaction followed allegations by a civil society organisation, the Public Safety Accountability Group, which accused some high-profile members of the All Progressives Congress in the state of mounting pressure on the police to release the suspect on medical grounds.
According to the group, certain APC chieftains had allegedly visited police stations and sent emissaries to facilitate the suspect’s release, describing the move as an attempt to undermine efforts to dismantle a criminal gang.
The police had earlier responded by confirming that the suspect was undergoing psychiatric evaluation and that an herbalist had reportedly been treating him for mental illness for the past 10 years.
However, the police statement did not address allegations regarding the involvement of APC leaders in efforts to secure the suspect’s bail.
