Bruised Ballots: Who Gotan Protects?

 

By: Sodiq Lawal Chocomilo

The Osun poll is barely three weeks to go and it appears to me that the Nigeria Police Force, particularly CP Ibrahim Gotan, is telling voters that ballots in this state come with bruises, according to words on the streets. Better put, fresh graves by morning, and a 3-paragraph press release about “restoring normalcy”: the best policing in the world. 

Ayo, a patriotic citizen of the state, in a rather cheerful mood, described the police as a "mortuary agency" and its vehicles as "ambulances," claiming they have transported more dead bodies lately than the agency actually charged with that duty.

Aside from the fact that Ayo had no statistics to back his claim, his reasoning was also off.  

"How many people have died due to gross negligence on the part of the police?" I asked.  

"More than 10 people have died, and many have been injured," he replied.  

"And so what? Ten people died, and CP Ibrahim Gotan should resign because Busuyi, sorry, Rasaki who allegedly beat up an Okada rider with an axe and threatened to kill people in the Iroye community, has not been arrested and is still roaming freely?" I fired back at Ayo.

"But three young people were also killed in cold blood, aside from the abduction of two men at ValuMall in Ilesa?" Ayo asked.  

"The three people were cultists in politics. They deserve to die. The video is AI. It is not real," I answered.  

"But they were later released by the police, and you said the video is AI. Is death by non-state actors the penalty for cultists, according to the law?" he pressed further.  

"At least the abductors did not kill them. They beat them up, dropped them at the nearest police station, and they were later released," according to inside sources.  

"Where are the abductors and the people who beat them up?" Ayo asked.  

"Your wahala is too much. The police are still looking for them," I answered.  

"Like the killers of citizens in Osogbo, Ife, Ilesa, Ijebu-Ijesa, Esa-Oke, Ikire, Ila, and others?" he asked again.  

"Ha! Ayo! So dead bodies don plenty like this. Well, the police are still looking for them," I responded.  

"But he is roaming the streets of Ilesa now, and he has not been arrested," he insisted.  

"Eeh hen, he dey roam Ilesa? The police never see am, na why," I told Ayo.  

"But he attended a campaign rally in Ilesa, and people saw him there," he pushed further.  

"The duty of the police is to collect... sorry, to secure rally areas, not arrest criminals," I answered.  

"But they shot sporadically into the air, causing tension and fear?" he asked again.  

"It's normal now. People should be afraid. The ballot must come with bruises. Just little graves... sorry, please cut it. I said, cut it. My own, na CP Gotan dey try. Shooters must be pardoned, sorry arrested," I answered.

"But two major contenders and their political parties have accused the Osun State Police Command of bias and complicity. They also alleged that the police is working as a security arm of the All Progressives Congress (APC)," Ayo stated.  

"What? Na fear dey catch dem. Don't worry. Wetin' my Gotan do self? Dey wan kill am. Na the only two dey complain jare," I told Ayo.  

"Recently, the African Alliance Congress (AAC) and its gubernatorial candidate, Esan Olajide, also accused CP Ibrahim Gotan and his command of bias and complicity"  

"Oops... Okay... Dem be three be that," I insisted.  

"But AP and some civil society groups also accused the CP of bias and complicity?" Ayo asked.  

"Wo! Leave me! It's normal... sorry, it's not true. Didn't you see the pro-CP Gotan protests?" I asked Ayo.

"The one organised by a faction of NURTW, right?" Ayo said.  

"No o, the one organised in heavens ni," I responded.  

"A civil society group and a political party organised ‘Pro CP Gotan Must Stay’ now," I added.  

"Oops... but they also protested against killings. How can you protest in favor of someone whose duty is to stop killings you are also protesting against?" Ayo asked.  

"I am not Comrade Amina. Don't ask me. My name is Sodiq. You are a hater. God will fight for my CP," I fired back.

"A faction of NURTW protested on Monday," Ayo disclosed.  

"And so, it's within their rights to protest and express their grievances as members of the union," I answered.  

"It resorted to crisis, and the police declared that no faction must be seen close to the garages," Ayo further stated.  

"That's the best thing to do. God bless my CP. They can not waste people's lives," I posited affirmatively.  

"ALGON, an association, also suspended another association, NURTW," Ayo added.  

"It's normal. The Nigerian system permits it. President Tinubu is a democrat. He allows ALL," I answered.  

"A faction of NURTW stormed the Osogbo head office and entered against the CP's directive," Ayo disclosed.  

"They did not meet police officers when they got there," I responded.  

"But police were there, and yet-to-be-identified armed individuals followed them inside the office," Ayo insisted.  

"You don't have evidence, and the CP is not aware," I told Ayo.  

"But the video has gone viral. When will the CP order the arrest of the people who violated his directive?" Ayo asked.  

"I am not CP Gotan. However, we are still looking for them," I told Ayo.  

"Like the killers of citizens in Ilesa, Osogbo, Ife, Ila, Ikire, and... Maybe we should send a customized cap and vest of a party to the CP”

"Stop itttttt..." I cut in.  

"Haba! It is a sacrilege. You just burst the integrity and dignity of the CP. Absolute nonsense. Is the CP that worse? Why don't you invite the CP to the podium to canvass for voters? I am not discussing CP Gotan and the Osun State Police Command again. Leave me. I don't want trouble. I don't want to be arrested. My CP is working. People are only dying."

"Is the Osun election necessary?" Egbon Femi Badmus, a respected citizen, completely tired of pre-election activities filled with blood and tears, asked the question on his social media page.  

Another person said thugs should be allowed to replace police officers to guarantee safety.  

"Why print posters when bullets trend faster?"  

"When people die, police say it's just an exchange of fire, but families call it funerals."

Candidates are more interested in gunshots because they clear streets, cancel rallies, help them avoid accountability, and give TV stations something to run besides policy papers.  

There is no need for door-to-door.  

Just noise, fear, and a body count that makes the news cycle.  

Youths in the wrong color cap get detained for "further questioning."  

"Why did you wear that cap?"

To show workings, police abandon their friends, sorry killers, sorry criminals, start running after politicians, sorry events, and issue statements:  

"We are investigating."  

"No one is above the law."  

"We urge calm."  

Delivered in the same flat tone whether they’re announcing a death toll. That's the CP Gotan discipline.

When people asked police to arrest killers, it presented a list of cultists or thugs the command had arrested. When the list was checked, we could not find the names of killers, only cultists.  

Yes, cultists can replace killers.  

It is not biased. It’s choreography.  

The audience is expected to clap, vote, and go home before curfew.  

CP Gotan does not want to go home empty-handed.

The claim that the Osun State Police Command under CP Ibrahim Gotan is not working is false, misleading, and untrue. He is a very good man. He's very active, working, and religious. He's determined and very dedicated.  

I don't want to be arrested or declared wanted by the police. But that's not why I'm singing the praises of CP Gotan. I just don't want to be arrested for speaking the truth.

However, it is too much for Ayo to say that CP Gotan has turned law enforcement into event security. I have not asked Ayo what he meant by "event security" — I only hope he doesn't mean "bouncers" that are ordered around by persons who pay for their services, not by process, discipline, and mandate.

I can be reached via 08164411922 (Whatsapp Only) or sodiqlawalchocomilo@gmail.com