Eighteen members of Ondo State House of Assembly in the Olamide George-led group have indicated their readiness to honour the invitation by the state police command.
But they said their case should be transferred to Force Headquarters in Abuja, the nation’s capital, for security reasons.
The embattled lawmakers expressed the fear that their safety cannot be guaranteed by the police commissioner, adding that indications from what transpired in the last few days made them to lose confidence in the police chief, who they accused of partisanship.
In a petition to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), the lawyer to the lawmakers, Mr. Kayode Ajulo, noted that in the interest of justice, peace and order, the case be moved to Abuja for proper monitoring by superior authorities to ensure that Ondo State does not degenerate into anarchy and lawlessness.
President Muhammadu Buhari and the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo were copied in the petition, dated November 27 with the title: “Re: Invitation to the state CIID Akure: request to transfer investigative activities to the Nigeria Police force Headquarters, Abuja.”
Its reads: “Our clients want it on record that as lawmakers and law-abiding citizens of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, they will indeed honour the invitation of the Ondo State commissioner of police, as scheduled for Tuesday, November 27, but they are apprehensive that considering the involvement and role played by the commissioner of police and the open violence and grievous hurt already meted out to them during the invasion and disruption of their legislative activities on November 9, their rights may be pugnaciously violated once again.
“At the moment, the Ondo State House of Assembly is still under siege and our clients feel absolutely unsafe as the threat by Mr. Jacob Adebo and his ‘thugs’ to kill them and their family have made them all vacate their private residences and become fugitives in their land.
“Consequent on the above, our clients demand that the threat to their lives and family, imposed by Police Commissioner Gbenga Adeyanju, All Progressives Congress (APC) State Chairman Ade Adetimehin and the Ondo State Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) Jacob Adebo alongside his men, be adequately addressed to guarantee their attendance at the scheduled meeting on November 27.
“Furthermore, it is our clients’ belief that the involvement of the commissioner of police in the narrative has corrupted whatever investigative activities that may be carried out by the Ondo State Police Command and this has eroded any confidence our client might have reposed in the Ondo State headquarters of the Nigeria Police Force.
“We, therefore, urge you that in the interest of justice, peace and order, the instant case be transferred to the Force Headquarters in Abuja for proper monitoring and to ensure that Ondo State does not degenerate into a state of anarchy and lawlessness.
“Please, take note that it is trite that the primary responsibility of the police, as provided by Section 4 of the Police Act, is the protection of life and property, preservation of law and order, apprehension of crime and due enforcement of all laws. This, we understand, will be evidently practised by the transfer of the instant case to Abuja.”
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