Kwara PDP protests as court remands chieftain

Members of the Peoples Democratic Party in Kwara State staged a protest on Wednesday over the remand of one of the party’s chieftains in the Ilorin West Local Government Area, Tajudeen Sulu-Oloje, by a magistrate’s court.

Sulu-Oloje, who was initially charged to court and granted bail on the eve of the recently concluded local government elections, was again brought before the court on Wednesday and arraigned on the same charges.

The magistrate’s court ruled that it had no jurisdiction to hear the case and ordered Sulu-Oloje’s remand at the federal correctional facility.

The case was adjourned until October 21, 2024.

Following the court’s decision, PDP members, led by the state chairman, Babatunde Mohammed, condemned what they described as the unlawful arrest, harassment, and detention of Alhaji Sulu-Oloje.

The protesters displayed placards with inscriptions such as, “Kwara PDP will not accept this,” “IGP should come to our rescue,” and “Taju Sulu-Oloje is not a criminal.” They claimed the arrest was an attempt to suppress opposition voices following the recent local government elections in the state.

Speaking to journalists after the court session, Mohammed said the allegations against Sulu-Oloje were the same ones for which he was initially arrested and granted bail.

“Furthermore, all the complainants in the case have withdrawn their petitions and expressed a desire to resolve the matter amicably in the interest of their community.

This was reaffirmed by the complainants, who, despite being members of the ruling All Progressives Congress, came to the police headquarters in Ilorin to show solidarity and remained there until late last night,” Mohammed said.

“It is clear that Alhaji Sulu-Oloje’s only ‘crime’ in the eyes of the Commissioner of Police is his membership in the PDP. While our party remains committed to peaceful conduct and lawfulness, we will not tolerate the use of state apparatus to intimidate our members,” he added.

The state PDP chairman called on the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Kayode Egbetokun, to investigate the activities of the Kwara State Police Command under its current leadership to ensure that the police are not being used as a political tool by desperate politicians in the state.

After leaving the court premises, the PDP protesters marched to the police headquarters, reiterating their demand that the police should remain impartial and not be used by political actors.