For five days now, Kamorudeen Adabanija, a loyalist of former governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola, has been detained by the Nigeria Police in the state for allegedly defaming the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola.
It was alleged that Adabanija, a member of Omoluabi Progressives, a caucus of the All Progressives Congress (APC) loyal to Aregbesola, posted on his Facebook page that Oyetola used the bags of rice that were given to him by President Bola Tinubu to distribute to people of Osun as a souvenir on his 70th birthday.
Tinubu reportedly gave all ministers 1,200 bags of rice each for distribution as palliative to cushion economic hardship in the country.
The message purportedly posted on Adabanija’s Facebook page reads, “In case you don’t know, the palliative rice President Tinubu gave all ministers, Oyetola used his own for his 70th birthday gifts.”
Some loyalists of Oyetola, a former governor of Osun who had been at loggerheads with Aregbesola, justified Adabanija’s arrest and detention by the Police, saying the APC member defamed the incumbent minister and incited people against him.
Oyetola’s supporters said while shedding light on “the gravity of Adabanija’s offence that warranted his arrest,” that, “It is important to let people know what Adabanija has done, it is public incitement against the Minister and the party members that the Minister is shortchanging Osun people with the FG rice and he tried to damage the joyful mood of the Oyetola’s lovers”.
Meanwhile, while some APC members condemned Adabanija’s alleged incarceration, others have taken to social media to tender an apology to Oyetola on behalf of the suspect.
Omoluabi Progressives condemned Adabanija’s continued detention, saying since the indigene of Ara in Egbedore Local Government Area was arrested last Thursday, he has not been arraigned in court by the police.
The caucus, in a statement signed by its Organising and Publicity Secretary, Abosede Oluwaseun, said it was disturbing that Adabanija is still being held in custody and urged the police to act professionally and “not as a political agent to victimise Adabanija because he rejected Oyetola’s political camp.
“Adabanija, a key figure in our tendency from Ara in Egbedore local government area of the state, was last Thursday arrested allegedly on the orders of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr. Gboyega Oyetola, over a Facebook post.
“We wish to state that while the Police is empowered by the law to carry out arrests in investigation of various reports from members of the public, we find it disturbing that Kamorudeen has been held in custody.
“We demand that Adabanija be charged to court if he has a case to answer or be released on bail immediately if the police do not have a case against him.”