The House of Representatives has urged the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Tosin Ajayi, to intervene and restore peace in Osun State following the violent unrest that erupted on Monday, resulting in the deaths of at least six people.
The turmoil began when ousted local government chairmen and councillors attempted to reclaim their positions, an action opposed by supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) sought to enforce a Court of Appeal ruling from Akure, which overturned the decision of the Osogbo Federal High Court that had previously dismissed them in November 2022.
In response, PDP supporters gathered at council offices, leading to violent clashes with APC members, which resulted in fatalities and widespread property damage across several local government areas.
In a motion of urgent public importance, presented by Bamidele Salam, the representative for Ede North/Ede South/Ejigbo/Egbedore Federal Constituency, the House called on the federal government to take measures to prevent further escalation.
Salam explained that the violence was triggered by an attempt to forcefully reassert control over the local governments by the dismissed officials, without any legal backing.
“The House is deeply concerned that these officials are forcibly breaking into local government secretariats to reclaim power,” Salam said. He also referenced an alert issued by the Governor of Osun State, who warned of the imminent threat to peace and security in the state on February 16.
The House expressed concerns that, if unchecked, the escalating violence could embolden other citizens to resort to similar actions in the future. Salam cautioned that the situation could spiral into a larger conflict if not addressed urgently.
The House, with overwhelming support from the opposition, expressed confidence in the ability of the Nigerian Police to manage the crisis. Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, overseeing the session, urged the IGP, the DSS, and other security agencies to take swift action to restore normalcy in the state.
Additionally, the Speaker announced the formation of an ad-hoc committee to investigate the crisis, with former Deputy Speaker Idris Wase appointed as Chairman and Fred Agbedi as Deputy Chairman.
