An Abuja-based lawyer, Pelumi Olajengbesi, has submitted a petition to Inspector-General of Police Tunji Disu, urging immediate action to stop a surge in killings in Osun State ahead of the August 15 governorship election. Olajengbesi filed the petition on Thursday at the Force Headquarters in Abuja, citing politically motivated violence that he says has led to loss of lives, injuries, property destruction and widespread fear across communities. He identified the killing of 14-year-old Ezekiel Olapade in Ilobu, Irepodun Local Government Area, as one of several troubling incidents.
Olajengbesi, who described himself as a legal practitioner, concerned citizen and spokesperson for the Imole Campaign Council (TICC), called for a comprehensive investigation into all reported cases of political violence, arrest and prosecution of perpetrators regardless of political affiliation, and deployment of additional tactical police units to known flashpoints. He also urged a review of Osun's security architecture and directives for all police formations in the state to enforce laws impartially during the electoral period. According to him, the right to life is constitutionally guaranteed under the 1999 Constitution, and the Nigeria Police Force has a duty to protect lives and maintain public order.
He attached schedules to the petition containing victim names, incident dates and locations, witness statements, photographs, videos, media reports and other documents, which he said collectively show a deteriorating security situation. "These annexures provide a chronology of incidents that, taken together, raise serious concerns about the prevailing security situation in Osun," Olajengbesi stated. He warned that delayed or ineffective responses to violence encourage impunity and weaken public trust in democratic institutions. "Elections should be decided by the freely expressed will of the people through the ballot and not by intimidation, violence or bloodshed," he said, urging the I-G to act urgently.
Pelumi Olajengbesi claims to speak as a concerned citizen and TICC spokesperson, yet frames the petition as a constitutional appeal while advancing a political narrative. He cites the killing of Ezekiel Olapade and other incidents as evidence of systemic failure, but links them directly to the August 15 election without presenting police findings. The petition demands action from the I-G based on materials only he has compiled, placing the police in a reactive position ahead of the vote. If security responses now shift, it will be because of a lawyer's petition, not verified crime data or official assessment.
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