Ile-Arugbo Demolition: No Policeman Was Deployed By The Command For Any Demolition Exercise - Kwara Police

The Kwara State Police Command has debunked the rumours making rounds that its personnels are involved in the demolition, fired teargas to disperse protesters who had attempted to foil the demolition of a popular social welfare house known as “Ile Arugbo”.

The command made this known in a statement issued on Saturday night by the Public Relations Officer of the Command, Dsp Okasanmi Ajayi, no policeman was deployed for any demolition exercise anywhere in the state.

The press statement in details;


PRESS RELEASE

4TH JANUARY, 2020

RE-DEMOLITION OF ILE-ARUGBO IN ILORIN

The Command wishes to respond to the news making the rounds in  Kwara State and beyond, to the effect that Kwara State Police Command took active part in the demolition of the property referred to as Ile-Arugbo along Iloffa road, GRA, Ilorin.

The Command wishes to make it clear that as part of its safety and crime prevention strategies in ensuring a hitch free celebrations during the Christmas and the new year festivities, Police patrol vans were stationed at strategic points across the state, including Iloffa road GRA,Ilorin on the 31/12/2019 being the new year eve. As was witnessed by all and sundry, the Christmas and new year celebrations were generally peaceful throughout the state. Our anti crime deployment during this period has nothing to do with any demolition exercise in the state.

It is therefore shocking to the Commissioner of Police to hear the news of policemen shooting life ammunitions and firing teargas canisters at the scene of a demolition exercise.
For the purpose of emphasis, the Command wishes to immediately dispel the insinuations that the men reported to have been firing indiscriminately during the demolition exercise were deployed by the Kwara state police command.

No policeman was deployed by the command for any demolition exercise anywhere in the state and no policeman deployed for anticrime duties during the Christmas and new year celebrations fired a single shot of ammunition or canister during this period. Consequently, the Commissioner of Police, kwara state Ag CP Kayode Egbetokun has immediately directed a full scale  investigation into this allegation with a view to determining the veracity of this report.

The Command hereby for the umpteen time wishes to reiterate the irrevocable  commitment of the Commissioner of  Police to principles of fairness, justice and the rule of law while making police service  available and accessible to the people of Kwara state, please.

Dsp Okasanmi Ajayi
Police Public Relations Officer
Kwara State Police Command
For: Commissioner of Police.