At least 29 police officers from the Osun State Police Command are presently on trial at the provost for various offences contradicting the Police Code and Conduct.

The Osun State Commissioner of Police Mr Femi Oyeleye, gave the figure while briefing reporters on Wednesday in his office in Osogbo, the capital of Osun state in south-west Nigeria.

Mr Oyeleye said that the officers’ offences range from extortion to dereliction of duty and inadequate supervision from superior offices amongst others.

The police boss further assured Nigerians that in line with the vision of the Inspector General of Police to ensure discipline in the police force, any officer who engaged in illegality or misconduct would no longer be spared from facing the consequence according to the law guiding the police force.

On the alarm raised by the traditional monarch of Osogbo, the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Olanipekun, on planned abduction of the votary maid “Arugba Osun”, the Commissioner of Police assured the state’s residents that security had been beefed up to forestall kidnapping.

“We have received intelligence report that some people are planning to kidnap the Arugba Osun.

“The monarch of the town also said this. So we have increased surveillance around the Arugba to prevent this. We have reinforced security around the Arugba and even the ‘Igba’ so that the festival can go on without any hitch.

“We are also assuring worshippers and all visitors of adequate security. The crime rate in Osun State is one of the lowest in the country and we will do everything to sustain this,” he said.

The votary maid otherwise referred to as the Arugba Osun is the centre of attraction and key figure in the Osun Osogbo annual festival.