Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has received the newly deployed Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Zungura, and tasked him with rebuilding public confidence in the state police command.
Adeleke also called for the release of people he described as political detainees, particularly members of the Accord Party who were arrested during the political tensions surrounding the August 15 governorship election.
Zungura assumed duty in Osun on Monday and visited the governor alongside senior officers from the command. During the meeting, he pledged to work with the state government to strengthen peace, stability and public trust in the police.
The new CP promised to operate an impartial command and address outstanding security concerns across the state.
He said he would work closely with the state government to promote peace and stability, assuring residents that his commitment to fairness would become evident in the coming weeks.
However, Adeleke said peace had yet to fully return to the state following the election and urged Zungura to take steps to restore confidence in the police.
The governor referred to a recent police operation in Ikire, where two people were reportedly killed, and alleged that the area’s Divisional Police Officer was implicated in the incident.
Adeleke called for immediate disciplinary action against the DPO, alleging that the officer had become a threat to the residents he was assigned to protect.
Adeleke lists five demands
The governor outlined five major demands which he said were necessary to restore peace and normalcy in Osun.
First, he asked the new commissioner to rebuild public confidence by ensuring that police officers perform their duties professionally, fairly and with greater regard for citizens.
He also called for closer cooperation between the state government and the police command, stressing that his administration was seeking only fair and impartial policing.
Adeleke further urged Zungura to restructure the command’s internal operations and address police units he alleged had been compromised or were perceived to have political leanings.
He specifically said some operational units needed to be dissolved because of allegations that they had become associated with political activities.
The governor also asked the police command to participate fully in meetings of the State Security Council, claiming that the former commissioner last attended one of the meetings in 2024.
His fifth demand was for the release of members of the Accord Party whom he described as political detainees. He also called for an end to what he termed politically motivated arrests involving members of the party.
Adeleke assured the new police leadership that his administration was prepared to support security operations without attaching political conditions.
He stressed that the government’s only expectation was fair policing.
Zungura replaces Gotan
Zungura’s deployment to Osun followed the transfer of the former Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gotan, amid concerns about the neutrality of the police command ahead of the governorship election.
Adeleke, who secured a second term in the August 15 election, said his administration was prepared to reconcile with political opponents and other stakeholders.
He maintained that Osun needed peace, justice and a police command trusted by citizens irrespective of their political affiliations.
