Park Invasion: Facebook Users Knock Osun Police Over Alleged Selective Policing

The Osun State Police Command has come under intense criticism from Facebook users following its latest press briefing on the violence that erupted around motor parks in Osogbo, with many accusing the Command of selective law enforcement and political bias.

At a press briefing on Monday, the Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gotan, said officers responded to clashes involving factions of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) before engaging suspected hoodlums at Oke-Ijetu, where three security operatives sustained gunshot injuries. The Command also announced the arrest of a suspect linked to the shooting, alongside other suspects connected with alleged motorcycle robbery and political violence.

However, the briefing sparked widespread reactions on the Police Command's official Facebook page, with numerous commenters questioning why individuals allegedly seen in widely circulated videos during the invasion of the Old Garage motor park were neither mentioned nor arrested.

Many users alleged that armed men invaded the park, vandalised commercial buses, assaulted drivers and commuters, and operated openly despite the presence of security personnel.

Among the commenters, Adeyemi Idris alleged that more than 20 buses were damaged during the attack and claimed police officers initially left the scene before later returning to arrest park workers.

A recurring demand in the reactions was for the arrest and investigation of Asiri Eniba, whom several commenters alleged appeared in viral videos linked to the incident. Others questioned why videos allegedly showing him moving with armed uniformed personnel had not prompted any official investigation or arrest.

Several Facebook users also faulted the Police Command's description of the incident as a clash between "factions" of the NURTW, arguing that the explanation failed to capture the full circumstances surrounding the violence.

Other commenters accused the Command of applying the law unevenly, noting that suspects linked to the Oke-Ijetu shooting were arrested within 24 hours, while no similar action had been announced against individuals allegedly captured in videos from the Old Garage incident.

While a few users commended the police for responding to security threats, the majority called for transparent, impartial and evidence-driven investigations, insisting that all individuals connected to the violence should be treated equally, regardless of political or union affiliation.

The online reactions have intensified public scrutiny of the Police Command's handling of the crisis, with many residents maintaining that public confidence can only be restored through fair and unbiased enforcement of the law.