A lecturer at the University of Ilorin, Olorunsuwa Ola, has alleged that he was arrested at his home in Ilorin, Kwara State, by a team of about eight police officers on September 16. The arrest was made based on a petition by the Kogi State Security Adviser, Jerry Omodara. Mr. Ola, a lecturer in the Department of Political Science, claimed that the officers did not present a warrant of arrest despite his request to see one.
According to Mr. Ola, the officers told him that the warrant of arrest was at the police headquarters and that they would take him there to see it and meet his lawyer. However, instead of taking him to the police headquarters in Ilorin, they took him to Lokoja, the capital of Kogi State. The petition reviewed by Premium Times shows that Mr. Omodara complained to the Commissioner of Police, Kogi State Command, on September 11, demanding that Mr. Ola produce documents supporting his claim about the road project.
The petition, titled "A Petition Against Mr. Elijah Ololunsuwa on His Grievous Allegation on the Recently Advertised Reconstruction of Kabba-Olle-Iluke Road by the Kogi State Government," accused Mr. Ola of making "false allegations" and publications against the Kogi government. Mr. Omodara stated that Mr. Ola had claimed on social media that the road project was World Bank-sponsored, with the Kogi government providing counterpart funding, which Mr. Omodara rejected.
Mr. Ola was released after being forced to write a retraction of his statement and apologize to the state government. He claimed that he was held for several hours on the first day and asked to return to the police station the following day, where his release formalities were completed. Mr. Ola also alleged that his political position contributed to the deterioration of his relationship with Mr. Omodara, as both men are from Kogi West and belonged to the same political camp until Mr. Ola began supporting Senator Sunday Karimi's position.
Mr. Ola said he remained concerned about further action against him because of his continued public comments on the matter. He alleged that a person close to Mr. Omodara subsequently warned that he would not be allowed to vote in his community if he continued to speak about the security adviser's role in his arrest. Mr. Ola is considering legal action over what he described as an unlawful arrest and the circumstances surrounding his detention.
The arrest comes against the backdrop of preparations for the 2027 general election and recent commitments by security agencies to protect the electoral process. The Kogi State Commissioner of Police, Naziru Kankarofi, had urged political actors to comply with electoral laws and refrain from hate speech, incitement, and other actions capable of disrupting public peace. The circumstances surrounding Mr. Ola's arrest raise questions about how those commitments will be applied in practice.
The arrest also comes shortly after Premium Times reported that Governor Ahmed Ododo banned night arrests in Kogi, directing security agencies to make arrests during the day and follow due process. With the elections approaching, any perceived gap between commitments to lawful, peaceful political participation and the conduct of security agencies could affect public confidence in the neutrality of the electoral security process.
Key points
- University of Ilorin lecturer Olorunsuwa Ola was arrested by Nigerian police over a social media post criticizing a Kogi State road project.
- The arrest was made based on a petition by the Kogi State Security Adviser, Jerry Omodara, who accused Ola of making false allegations against the Kogi government.
- Ola was released after being forced to write a retraction of his statement and apologize to the state government, but he remains concerned about further action against him.
