Top media officials of the Osun State government have sued the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Police Service Commission for the enforcement of their fundamental rights within the purview of the Nigerian constitution.
The Commissioner for Information, Hon. Kolapo Alimi; the Spokesperson to the State governor, Mallam Olawale Rasheed and other top media aides filed the suit on Friday at the Federal High Court, Osogbo, accusing the police of harassing and threatening the course of their official duties.
The applicants accused the police of threatening to lock up the media aides, alleging that there were several attempts by the operatives of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to deploy the police to suppress and intimidate state media officials.
The officials listed recent arrests and open threats to continue such a breach of fundamental rights by some sections of the police force, justifying the suit on the ground of the need to protect their fundamental rights from being violated as the August 8th governorship election draws nearer.
The affidavit was deposed to by one of the applicants, a Senior Special Assistant to the governor, Mr Hezekiah Oladele Olabamiji, accusing the police of working with some faceless politicians, particularly of the APC, to arrest, intimidate and harass Osun state officials in violation of their fundamental rights as guaranteed by the constitution.
Details later…
