Ogun SSG Orders Arrest Of Three APC Members Over Gov. Abiodun's Xmas Rice, N.5m Largesse

Tokunbo Talabi

ABEOKUTA - The Secretary to the Ogun State Government (SSG), Mr. Tokunbo Talabi has allegedly ordered for the arrest and detention of three members of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ijebu North local government area of the State for being in possession of bags of rice and N500,000 given by the state governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun to the local government as Christmas gift.

The party members were arrested separately on 2nd and 3rd January, 2022.

However, a legal practitioner who spoke on behalf of the accused, A.D Sosanwo and Co has demanded a N10m damage from the Nigeria Police, Ijebu Ode Area Command for unlawfully detaining three of his clients.

Sosanwo, in a petition written to the Ijebu Ode Area Command which was copied to the Inspector General of Police and the Ogun State Police Commissioner of Police, explained that his clients were arrested and detained beyond the specific constitutional period.

The legal practitioner gave the names of the arrested as Morufu Idowu, Adebayo Rabiu and Wasiu Raji, adding that they were arrested on the order of the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Tokunbo Talabi.

According to the petition, they were arrested by police officers in Ago-Iwoye and transfered to Ijebu Ode Area Command after being accused of taking some bags of rice meant to be distributed to party members.

The law firm explained that the Area Commander demanded that the bags of rice be returned after which the matter be resolved amicably between the complainant and the arrested persons.

It was further alleged that after the bags of rice were returned the following day by a Party Chairman, the trio of Idowu, Adebayo and Raji were not released.

It was however alleged that rather than releasing those arrested or charged to Court, the police also demanded to see the former Deputy Speaker of Ogun State House of Assembly and member representing Ijebu North II State Constituency, Hon. Dare Kadiri before they could be released.

The accused persons were reported to have said that Hon Kadiri popularly called Maba could not be reached in the circumstance of their detention.

When contacted on phone, the former Deputy Speaker explained that the misunderstanding started when the SSG monopolised the bags of rice for his group in the local government with the exclusion of other groups within the local government.

Kadiri further accussed the SSG of withholding till date, a sum of 11 million Naira given to the party members for the 2020 Christmas and Ileya Celebration, adding that the bags of rice given to him were not distributed until after six months they are expired.

He explained that when the rice and money was released from the State again, the SSG gave the gift to a factional Chairman who has been excluding many party members from the largesse.

He further revealed that some youths came to him in protest and that he called the man in whose custody were the bags of rice to take same to the Chairman of All Progressives Congress, APC in the local government for even distribution.

He further explained that he drove to the factional Chairman's House to retrieve 10 bags of rice meant for his ward and handed it over to the Ward Chairman of APC when the custodian of the largesse refused to listen to the youths.

He said, "The governor gave the party members 10 bags of rice and N500, 000 for as Xmas gift only for the SSG to hand it over to his group leaving our own group.

"The money given to the party members in 2020 for Xmas and Ileya celebration amounting to 11 million is still with him till date while the rice given to the party members got bad because it was distributed after 6 months.

"This time again, they took the rice to a factional chairman who has been sharing rice to only people in their group. The youths came to me, I called the man to instruct him to take the rice from the State to the Local government party chairman but he refused.

"I drove down there and removed only the 10 bags of rice given to my ward. I drove to the Local Government party chairman's house and dropped the 10 bags there. Only for the SSG to order their arrest."

Both the SSG and the former Deputy Speaker have been at loggerhead over the control of the Party in the local government.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi said he was not aware of the case. 

He however promised to find out from Ijebu Igbo DPO.

The SSG neither picked nor returned calls put across to his mobile number, he also did not respond to text messages sent to the same number.