OSSIEC, Other Sue IGP, Osun CP Over Breach Of Fundamental Rights

……Demand N2bn Damages

The Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC) and its chairman, Barr. Hashim Abioye have filed a N2bn lawsuit against the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the Osun State Commissioner of Police for the breach of fundamental rights.

The commission, alongside its chairman, demanded the money as damages for harassing, intimidating and detaining some ad-hoc staff of the commission for committing no offence.

In a suit filed at the federal high court sitting in Osogbo, brought in a representative capacity for themselves and on behalf all the members and the entire staff, including ad-hoc staff of the commission, the claimants have sued the defendants for breach and continuing breach of their fundamental rights, illegal arrest and detention, unlawful sealing of the commission premises, threat of further arrest and detention, illegal seizure of commission’s properties.

Blaze Newz recalls that OSSIEC headquarters had been sealed off by the police since Friday, February 21.

The office was sealed off a day before the Saturday, February 22, 2025, local government elections in the state, a situation the OSSIEC chairman attributed to the delay in election materials getting to some polling units.

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OSSIEC chairman, Barrister Hashim Abioye confirmed the development to OSUN DEFENDER.

Also, a source said the commission is taking up the case against the Nigerian Police over the overzealousness of their men.

He noted, “A security agency is expected to be neutral and provide necessary security for the people of Nigeria. Unfortunately, the reverse is the case. Many of our ad-hoc staff have been arrested for committing no offence and up till now, no reason has been given by the police.

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“The fact that APC rules at the federal who have control of the security agencies doesn’t give the approval for the police to just misbehave anyhow. This is democracy.”