Police, PDP Trade Words over Arrest of Governor’s Aide in Kwara

Hammed Shittu in Ilorin

Kwara State Police command and the opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) in the state yesterday  traded words on the purported arrest of the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the state governor, Alhaji Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq on Rural Mobilization, Mr. Musibau Esinrogunjo.

Esinrogunjo, was alleged to have assaulted a Traffic Warden while on duty on Ahmadu Bello way on March 16,2022 on his way to the Government House Ilorin, while a weed suspected to be Indian hemp and an ammunition found in his vehicle during a search consequently conducted.

But while the Police in a statement yesterday  signed by Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Ajayi Okasanmi  said that Esinrogunjo was not arrested for alleged possession of hard drug and ammunition but for assault and traffic offence, the state branch of PDP called for the prosecution of the governor’s aide, adding that the matter should not be swept under the table.

A video clip on how the governor’s aide was allegedly caught by policemen with a cartridge and substance suspected to be hard drug had gone viral on social media.

Okasanmi said in a statement  that the viral video in question was posted by a “mischievous individual” to achieve a result still unknown to the Command.

The statement read:“What actually transpired in the day was that, the man in the video later identified to be one Musibau Esinrogunjo was caught committing a traffic offence by driving against traffic, thereby causing a serious traffic hold-up at NYSC Secretariat junction, Ahmadu Bello Way, Ilorin.

“The traffic warden on duty who arrested him for the offence was dealt a slap by Mr. Esinrogunjo and his aide, which drew the anger of passers-by around the vicinity. They attempted to physically assault him but for the prompt arrival of police officers that rescued and took the parties to the police headquarters, the closest police formation to the scene.

“A search conducted in the vehicle of Mr Esinrogunjo resulted in the recovery of a substance suspected to be Indian hemp and an item that looked like a cartridge wrapped with charm.

“The incident was looked into by a very senior police officer in the command, Esinrogunjo was later identified to be Special Assistant to the state governor. The matter was treated in Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) He was warned to desist from such behaviour in future. The traffic warden assaulted by the Esinrogunjo was pacified and asked to go back to his duty post while Esinrogunjo was also released.

“The command wishes to reiterate that, at no time was the suspect Esinrogunjo arrested for being in possession of weeds or bullet. It was a case of driving against the traffic and physically assaulting a police man that brought him to the police headquarters. The physical assault on Esinrogunjo was from aggrieved passers-by that followed the parties to the police headquarters and the men were arrested, reprimanded and equally released.

“The Command has nothing to do with the video in circulation. Esinrogunjo was arrested for traffic offence and assault which had been satisfactorily dealt with”, Okasanmi explained.

However, PDP in a statement issued by its State Chairman, Rt. Hon. Babatunde Muhammed while reacting to the incident yesterday  called for the prosecution of the governor’s special assistant and demanded that the matter must not be swept under the carpet.

“The attention of our party has been drawn to the viral video showing some police officers questioning and beating the Special Assistant to Governor Abdulrazaq of Kwara State, Comrade Musbau Esinrogunjo, over possession of live bullets and illegal substance suspected to marijuana.

“This could be part of the early signs of Governor Abdulrazaq’s grand plot to import arms and ammunition into the State ahead of the 2023 general elections. 

“The statement by the Kwara Police Command on the incident is a smoke-screen to hide the truth from the public. This is an attempt by the police to cover Esinrigunjo and shield from prosecution, is uncalled for and should be condemned. 

“We are thereby calling on the Police authorities to order proper prosecution of the Governor’s aide. He must also be prosecuted for other infractions he has allegedly committed like breaking traffic rules and physical assault on a traffic warden. If found guilty, he should be made to face the law. The matter must not be swept under the carpet,” the statement reads in part.

Also, Esinrogunjo in his reaction on alleged that the matter was that of the persecution as he was detained for more than 12 hours in Police cell and beaten mercilessly.

Esinrogunjo said: “I was mercilessly beaten by the Police, they are about 50 Police officers, I was locked up in cell from around 6pm and was there till about 8am or 9am the second day when people from the government house came to bail me even after the Traffic Warden came and told them that he is not interested in making the case. I kept mute for  two  weeks until the video surfaced online on Sunday.”