The Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Hon. Adewale Olumide Egbedun, has accused the state Commissioner of Police, CP Ibrahim Gotan, of ordering a shoot-on-sight policy against people found within local government council premises in the state.

News reports that Egbedun made the allegation in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Olamide Tiamiyu, on Tuesday.

He asserted that political disagreements should not be a reason to take the lives of people, adding that it is the duty of the police to protect citizens.

The lawmaker described the alleged directive as “deeply alarming and completely unacceptable in a democratic society.”

He said, “Osun State is historically known as a peaceful state. We cannot allow our state to become a theatre of bloodshed because of political disagreements.

“The police are established to protect lives and property, not to take lives. Any directive that encourages officers to shoot citizens without due process is a grave threat to democracy and the rule of law.”

He argued that the alleged order raises serious concerns over the protection of citizens’ fundamental rights and the conduct of security personnel in the state.

Egbedun recalled that there had previously been public allegations concerning the existence of a “killer squad” within the police establishment, which the force denied.

He, however, stated that the denial does not rule out what he described as a “disturbing pattern of allegations.”

The speaker subsequently called for an urgent and transparent investigation into the allegations,

“The Nigeria Police Force must not become an instrument for political intimidation. Police officers must serve the Constitution and the Nigerian people, not political interests. If there are genuine security concerns at any Local Government Council, the police must act within the law.

“There is no circumstance in which an innocent citizen should be summarily executed simply for being present at a public institution, ” he said.

He therefore called on the Inspector-General of Police to immediately investigate the alleged directive attributed to CP Gotan and publicly clarify the operational orders issued to police formations across Osun State.

The Speaker further urged citizens, civil society organisations, the media and human-rights bodies to remain vigilant and document any alleged violation of citizens’ rights.

“Let me be absolutely clear: Osun people must not be killed. If any Osun citizen loses his or her life as a result of an unlawful police action or an alleged shoot-at-sight order, I will personally pursue every lawful avenue available to me to demand accountability, including appropriate international human-rights mechanisms where necessary. Those responsible must answer for their actions, regardless of their position,” the Speaker warned.