Tensions have escalated between the Osun State Commands of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Nigeria Police Force following an alleged assault on an NSCDC officer by police personnel on Wednesday at Elizabeth Estate, Osogbo.
According to The PUNCH, the incident, which has stirred public interest due to viral video footage, has led to calls for an investigation.
The NSCDC officer, identified as Owoeye, was reportedly attacked and later detained by police officers. In videos circulating online, a man dressed in Ankara print but wearing a jacket marked with ‘POLICE’ was seen slapping the NSCDC officer, who managed to disarm him.
Another clip showed NSCDC personnel confronting the individual, while onlookers gathered around.
NSCDC spokesperson for Osun Command, Kehinde Adeleke, described the encounter as a “disturbing incident of police brutality” that occurred on October 22, around 8 p.m., when men in casual attire, allegedly from the police, attempted to enter Elizabeth Estate in a private vehicle, claiming they were there to arrest a suspect.
Adeleke said the NSCDC officer on duty requested identification, which reportedly infuriated the team.
“A group of individuals, claiming to be police officers, drove recklessly into the estate wearing Ankara attire with only a jacket on top and insisted they were police. When our officer requested proper identification, they verbally assaulted him and left, only to return the next day with reinforcements,” Adeleke recounted.
The situation intensified on October 23, when about 20 police officers arrived at the estate and allegedly assaulted the NSCDC officer, Adeleke explained.
“The officer’s uniform was torn; he was brutalized, handcuffed, and taken into police custody,” she said, adding that attempts by NSCDC senior officers to resolve the matter were unsuccessful until his release on October 25.
Police Public Relations Officer, Yemisi Opalola, offered a different account, stating that the officers involved were on an assignment from Oyo State to arrest a suspect at the estate.
She said NSCDC personnel obstructed the operation and injured two police officers. “They deflated the tyres of the police vehicle, prompting officers to call for reinforcements,” Opalola explained.
She added, “Upon arrival, the reinforcements helped retrieve the officers, and the NSCDC member who prevented the police from performing their lawful duty was detained and taken for investigation.”
In response, NSCDC Osun Commandant Dr. Michael Adaralewa demanded an investigation into the incident, vowing that the matter would not be ignored. “We demand justice for our personnel, and we will ensure those responsible are held accountable,” Adaralewa stated firmly.
