A lecturer at the University of Ilorin, Olorunsuwa Ola, has shared how police arrested him at his home in Ilorin, Kwara State. This action followed a petition from Jerry Omodara, the Kogi State Security Adviser.
Mr Ola, who teaches in the Department of Political Science, said the police took him on 16 September. He was arrested by about eight officers and taken to Lokoja.
He mentioned that the officers did not show him any arrest warrant, despite his request. “I requested for the warrant of arrest. They said the warrant of arrest was at the police headquarters,” Mr Ola told PREMIUM TIMES.
He said the officers claimed they would take him to the police headquarters in Ilorin to see the warrant and meet with his lawyer. “While we were going, we got to a point where they were supposed to veer towards the police headquarters. I told them that no, this is the way to police headquarters. They now told me that no, they were taking me to Kogi State,” he explained.
The Petition
The petition reviewed by PREMIUM TIMES shows that Omodara complained to the Commissioner of Police in Kogi on 11 September. He demanded that Mr Ola provide documents to back up his claims about the road project.
This 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 the lecturer of making “false allegations” against the Kogi government.
Mr Omodara claimed that Mr Ola stated on social media that the road project was sponsored by the World Bank, with Kogi providing counterpart funding. He rejected this claim, saying Kogi awarded a contract for the reconstruction after an advertisement was placed in newspapers for bids.
Omodara asked the police to make Mr Ola produce documents showing World Bank involvement. “Otherwise he is to be charged for cybercrime and prosecuted,” he stated. He also said he asked Mr Ola to retract his statement within 24 hours, but the lecturer posted a derogatory message instead.
The Kogi State Police Command received the petition on 11 September, according to the copy reviewed by PREMIUM TIMES.
Arrest and Release
Mr Ola said that on the morning of 16 September, two officers approached him outside his home while others were positioned nearby. He mentioned that when they arrived in Lokoja, the Commissioner of Police did not let him explain his side.
“He just said that I have been mandated to extract retraction from you,” Mr Ola said. “I was forced to write retraction of that statement. I was brought to write letter of retraction under duress and apologise to the state government as the condition for my release,” he added.
Mr Ola stated he was held for several hours that day and was asked to return to the police station the next day. That was when his release formalities were completed. PREMIUM TIMES reached out to Omodara and Kogi State Commissioner of Police, Naziru Kankarofi, for comments on the matter. Neither had responded at the time of this report.
Political Disagreement
Mr Ola said he had a relationship with Omodara, but it soured due to a political disagreement. They both come from Kogi West and were in the same political camp until he started backing Senator Sunday Karimi’s call for the governorship to rotate to Kogi West.
Mr Ola believes that his political stance worsened his relationship with Omodara. However, the petition focuses on Mr Ola’s social media comments about the road project and does not mention his political views as the reason for the requested arrest.
He also shared that he had faced threats of legal action after questioning the road project on a community platform. He later apologized due to pressure from community elders in an effort to resolve the issue.
Threats After Release
After his release, Mr Ola said he worries about further actions against him due to his ongoing public comments about the matter. He claimed someone close to Omodara warned him that he would not be able to vote in his community if he continued discussing the security adviser’s role in his arrest.
Mr Ola is now considering legal action over what he calls an unlawful arrest and the conditions of his detention. “I am considering a legal redress against my kidnap from my home in Ilorin by Nigerian police,” he said.
He is also thinking about taking legal action against Omodara, the Kogi Commissioner of Police, and the Nigeria Police Force.
Election Implications
This arrest comes as preparations for the 2027 general election are underway. Security agencies have recently pledged to ensure a safe electoral process. On 8 September, Kogi State Commissioner of Police, Mr Kankarofi, participated in an Inter-Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) meeting in Lokoja.
During this meeting, stakeholders discussed threats and measures for peaceful elections. Mr Kankarofi urged political actors to follow electoral laws and avoid hate speech or actions that could disrupt public peace. Kogi Resident Electoral Commissioner, Shehu Wahab, also noted that INEC expects security agencies to cooperate for a credible election.
But Mr Ola’s arrest raises concerns about how these commitments will be upheld, especially in politically sensitive situations involving government officials and commentators. This incident follows a report that Governor Ahmed Ododo banned night arrests in Kogi, instructing security agencies to arrest during the day and follow due process.
With elections approaching, any difference between promises for lawful political participation and the actions of security agencies might impact public trust in the electoral security process.
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