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From Lateef Dada, Osogbo
A concerned civil society organisation in Osun State has condemned the shooting of chairman of the state transport management system, Wakili Nurudeen, popularly called Alowonle, by the police, and called on the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to ensure arrest and prosecution of anti-kidnapping squad leader, Moses Lohor, within one week.
Alowonle was reportedly shot by the police who accused him of gunrunning, attempted murder and malicious damage, but the police said he was maimed while attempting to evade arrest.
According to the group, failure to arrest and prosecute Lohor will force the youths to mobilise for another protest, saying the shooting was unlawful and unacceptable.
“The claim that Alowonle attempted to escape and was shot cannot hold water because the victim was shot in the abdomen. Common sense dictates that a suspect trying to escape will ordinarily have his back facing the police and not the other way around.
“If Lohor is not removed within a week, we will embark on a mass protest that may lead to another round of #EndBadGovernance,” the group said.
In a contrary reaction, the state Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Kazeem Oyewale, commended the police for the arrest of Alowonle and charged them to ensure arrest of killers of the NURTW’s members murdered in November 2022.
In a statement by Oyewale, yesterday, the union said the arrest of Alowonle, and the recovery of dangerous ammunition in his possession, was clear indication of what he was appointed for by the state government.
Oyewale posited that the union does not support criminalities, saying only armed robbers, kidnappers and assassins, go around with guns and ammunition.
He said since the gun found in the possession of Alowonle is a service pistol designed for the police, he must be asked how he came about it.
“First of all, we want to state that Alowonle is an impostor. He is not a member of our union, NURTW. He is a mere appointee of the state government imposed on the road workers.
“We are law-abiding citizens. We don’t move around with guns and ammunition. We believe only armed robbers, kidnappers and assassins go around with guns and ammunition as Alowonle was found to have done,” Oyewale said.
