The Kogi State Police Command has denied allegations that it harassed or intimidated a University of Ilorin lecturer, Chief Elijah Olorunsuwa, following his arrest over a social media post about the Kabba-Olle-Iluke road project.
The command said the lecturer was arrested on September 16, 2026, following a petition from the Kogi State Government over what it described as false and misleading information concerning the road project.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by the command’s spokesperson, ASP Saliu Oyiza Afusat, the police said Olorunsuwa was arrested at his residence in Ilorin, Kwara State, and taken to Lokoja for investigation.
The lecturer, who is in the Department of Political Science at the University of Ilorin, reportedly made a statement during questioning before writing an apology to the Kogi State Government.
The police said Olorunsuwa initially claimed that the Kabba-Olle-Iluke road project was being funded by the World Bank based on information available to him at the time.
According to the command, he later acknowledged that the project was solely being financed by the Kogi State Government.
The police added that Olorunsuwa apologised to the government and explained that his publication was not intended to embarrass the state administration.
The dispute reportedly began after the lecturer made the claim in an Oke-Offin community WhatsApp group. The publication was subsequently deleted after elderly members of the community reportedly appealed to him to remove it.
The police said Olorunsuwa was released on administrative bail on September 16 and was asked to return the following day to assist with the investigation.
The command insisted that the lecturer was neither harassed nor intimidated and was not unlawfully detained.
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The circumstances surrounding the arrest had earlier attracted public attention because Olorunsuwa was reportedly taken from his residence around 5am by a team of police officers.
The incident also occurred days after Kogi State Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo directed security agencies in the state to stop making arrests at night and to follow due process.
The governor had urged security agencies to invite suspects during the day rather than invade their homes at night.
The controversy further escalated after human rights activist and African Action Congress presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore called for the removal of Kogi State Commissioner of Police, CP Nasiru Bello Kankarofi.
Sowore alleged that the police should not be used to suppress criticism or peaceful expression.
The Kogi Police Command, however, rejected the allegations and defended the commissioner, describing him as a professional officer committed to the rule of law and respect for human rights.
The command said it would continue to work with relevant security agencies and stakeholders to maintain peace and protect lives and property across Kogi State.
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