Don't drag Osun govt into Diekola's case, group warns politicians

The Osogbo Progressives Circle (OPC) has warned politicians not to drag the Osun state Government and the Osogbo community into the criminal allegations leveled against a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Fatai Diekola.

The socio-political group in a press statement signed by its Chairman, Alhaji Sulaimon Adebayo and Secretary, Bidemi Olaniyi said Diekola is having a case with the police authority, not the state government, or Governor Rauf Aregbesola.

According to the group, the warning became imperative following a move to incite Osogbo indigenes against the Aregbesola's administration by supporters of Diekola who is an indigene of Osogbo.

The group maintained that it would not allow 'self-centered politicians' to draw back the hand of development in the state capital by the attempt to incite the community against the state government on Diekola's case.

It explained that the APC chieftain was facing a criminal case of gun running, breach of public peace and conspiracy leveled against him by the police.

Explaining that the APC chieftain's case came up on the heel of confessions of two political thugs, Dada Lawrence and one other, who allegedly told the police that Diekola was the person that gave guns to them, the group said the Osogbo community does not support criminality.

The group stated that Diekola contributed to the underdevelopment of Osogbo when he led thugs to disrupt the construction of Government House at Okedio, Osogbo in 2003 after Chief Bisi Akande lost the governorship election to Olagunsoye Oyinlola of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The statement, "We do not want to join issues with politicians on Fatai Diekola's case before the Osogbo magistrate court, we equally don't want the politicians to misinform members of the public and incite the indigenes of Osogbo against the state government and Governor Rauf Aregbesola.

"Fatai Diekola is son of Osogbo and we know his antecedence. The truth of the matter is that Diekola has issues with the police authority. The police had invited him about three weeks ago because of his alleged complicity in gun running.

"Diekola did not show up till Monday when he mobilised people to the police station in a campaign rally form. That made the police to charge him for disturbance of public peace. We wondered why Diekola would mobilise hundreds of people to police station to honour invitation. That is the true story.

"Diekola is not fighting for Osogbo and nobody should see his case as such. We recalled that Diekola had led some thugs to disrupt the construction of Government House at Okedio being constructed by Chief Adebisi Akande in 2003.

"We do not want anybody to disturb the peace we are enjoying in Osogbo. Osogbo indigenes should speak out now so that Diekola would not disrupt the development of our collective heritage as he did in 2003.

"He should answer the allegations against him, his followers should leave Osogbo community out of the matter."