The Osun State Government and the leadership of the Accord Party have accused the Inspector General of Police (IGP) of allegedly deploying a special squad to target opposition figures ahead of the August 15 governorship election in the state.

The allegation was contained in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, who claimed that the unit was created to carry out operations against Accord Party leaders and some government officials.

Govt Alleges “Decapitation Operation”

According to the statement, the alleged squad is being led by CSP Moses Lahor.

“We have a reliable report that the Inspector General of Police has created and dispatched a special squad under CSP Moses Lahor for a decapitation operation against Accord leaders,” the statement alleged.

The government further claimed that the operation involved plans for “selective commando-like arrests” of opposition figures.

It alleged that the planned arrests were not intended for investigation purposes but for what it described as “possible summary execution.”

Allegations Against APC Candidate

The statement also accused the APC governorship candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, of allegedly providing logistical support to the squad.

According to the government, meetings were allegedly held between the squad and the APC candidate ahead of the operation.

“The APC candidate has availed the alleged squad two Toyota 18-seater buses and one Sienna car for their operations,” the statement claimed.

The government further alleged that the operation was being coordinated without the knowledge of the Osun State Commissioner of Police.

Concerns Over Officer’s Past Conduct

The statement also claimed that the squad leader had previously been posted out of Osun State following alleged misconduct linked to a shooting incident involving a suspected member of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW).

According to the government, the officer was later redeployed to another police unit as part of what it described as “operational punishment.”

Call For Intervention

The Osun government and Accord Party called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the international community to intervene over the alleged development.

“We urge the Inspector General of Police to ensure that his men are not used to carry out unlawful operations in Osun State,” the statement added.

They also warned against any attempt to disrupt the election process, insisting that residents of the state remained aware of what they described as political plots ahead of the poll.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Police Force had not issued any official response to the allegations as of the time of filing this report.