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PHOTOS: Despite Court Warrant, Sunday Igboho Allegedly Stops Police From Arresting Tani Olohun In Ibadan
A disturbing incident in Ibadan has raised serious questions about the conduct of the Nigerian Police and the circumstances surrounding the alleged attempted arrest of a traditionalist,Tani Olorun, reportedly over his longstanding religious disagreements with some Islamic clerics in Kwara State.
According to accounts circulating about the incident, a Toyota Hiace bus allegedly arrived at the traditionalist’s residence in Ibadan with four men believed to be police officers. Two were reportedly dressed in police uniform while the other two were in mufti.
What immediately raised suspicion was that the vehicle allegedly had no visible number plate, while the men reportedly failed to produce police identification when requested by the resident’s wife and neighbours. As the situation attracted a crowd, concerns grew that what was being presented as an arrest could instead be an unauthorised attempt to forcibly remove the man from his residence.
The situation reportedly took an even more dramatic turn when Chief Sunday Igboho arrived at the scene and intervened, insisting that the men follow proper police procedures.
The intervention reportedly stopped the attempted removal and the men were ordered to return to their ilorin base.
But the bigger question remains:
Why would security personnel travel all the way from Kwara to Ibadan to remove a traditionalist from his home under circumstances that allegedly failed to meet basic standards of police identification and due process?
The controversy is particularly sensitive because Tani Olorun has reportedly had longstanding disputes with some Islamic clerics over religious issues. He was previously arrested in Kwara following allegations that he defamed an Islamic cleric and reportedly spent a prolonged period in detention before his release.
His subsequent outspoken criticism of religious teachings and defence of traditional African religion have reportedly continued to generate controversy.
This is where Chief Sunday Igboho’s confrontation with the Kwara State Commissioner of Police becomes significant.
Igboho was reportedly heard questioning why the Kwara Police Command[b] appeared to have the resources and urgency to pursue a controversial religious-related arrest in Ibadan, while communities in Kwara continue to complain about kidnapping, banditry and insecurity, including attacks allegedly affecting ordinary citizens and traditional rulers.[/b]
His message was essentially this:
If the police can travel from Kwara to Ibadan to arrest a traditionalist over a religious dispute, why has the same urgency not been demonstrated in confronting the kidnappers and bandits terrorising Kwara communities?
That question deserves a serious answer.
The Nigerian Police Force must not allow legitimate law enforcement to be confused with intimidation, religious persecution or extra-judicial abduction. If an individual is wanted for an offence, the police should identify themselves properly, present the appropriate documentation and follow established legal procedures.
No Nigerian citizen should be secretly taken away from his home under questionable circumstances.
And if this was indeed a legitimate arrest, then the authorities should explain clearly what offence was alleged, what warrant or lawful authority was relied upon, why officers travelled from Kwara to Ibadan, and why the operation reportedly generated such serious concerns about its legitimacy.
Chief Sunday Igboho’s intervention has therefore brought an important issue to the public space:
Law enforcement must protect Nigerians from kidnappers—not create circumstances in which Nigerians begin to fear that the police themselves may come to take them away.
The allegations surrounding this incident should be thoroughly investigated, and the public deserves transparency.
Security must never become a tool for religious vendetta. Justice must never be selective. And an arrest must never look like a kidnapping.
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