Osun Police Commissioner Ordered SSG's Arrest After He Laughed At Him When Booed During INEC Meeting –Assembly Speaker

The Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adewale Olumide Egbedun, has accused the state's Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gotan, of abusing his office by allegedly ordering the arrest of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Teslim Igbalaye, during an Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) stakeholders' meeting.

Egbedun also called on the Inspector General of Police to urgently remove the police commissioner from Osun State, alleging that the officer had turned policing into a tool of intimidation against government officials and political opponents.

In a statement issued on Thursday titled "My Account of What Happened to the Osun State Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Teslim Igbalaye," the Speaker narrated events surrounding the incident, claiming he personally witnessed the circumstances that preceded the arrest of the SSG.

SaharaReporters earlier reported that police arrested Igbalaye and several other suspects over an alleged vote-buying investigation in Osogbo.

The arrests were made during a police operation at a residential property linked to Igbalaye in Oroki Estate, Osogbo, where officers reportedly recovered millions of naira, electoral materials and other items suspected to be connected to possible electoral offences.

The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Wednesday by the command’s spokesperson, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, CP Gotan.

According to the police, the operation followed "credible and actionable intelligence" about the activities of a suspected criminal group operating around the Oroki Estate area of Osogbo.

During the operation, police said they recovered N4,810,500 in cash, one Dynabook laptop, one photocopy machine, one printer, two Permanent Voter Cards and a voter register covering Wards 1 to 15.

The command said the recovered items had been secured for forensic examination and further investigation.

Those arrested alongside the SSG include Akande Taiwo, 60; Oladele Abiodun, 38; Adeyemo Lukman, 45; Olaoye Muftau, 50; and Aderemi Musliu, 40.

The police said the suspects were found within the premises during the operation and had been taken into custody.

However, the State House of Assembly Speaker said that he, the deputy governor, and the SSG were seated together throughout the INEC stakeholders' meeting when the Police Commissioner Gotan mounted the podium and was allegedly booed by attendees.

"We all witnessed the unfortunate moment when Commissioner Gotan was booed while on the podium by citizens of Osun State. Immediately he returned to his seat, he looked directly towards us. At that moment, the SSG laughed," he said.

The Speaker alleged that immediately after the incident, the police commissioner made a series of telephone calls, prompting him to suspect that action was being taken against the SSG.

"The next thing I observed was Commissioner Gotan picking up his telephone and making a series of calls,” Egbedun said.

“From what I saw, I turned to the SSG and said, 'The Commissioner of Police has just ordered your arrest.'"

Egbedun said that shortly afterwards, Igbalaye received a telephone call informing him that police officers were waiting at his residence, forcing him to leave the meeting before it ended.

He added that after contacting the SSG, he was informed that the police had invited him to the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) over allegations that officers recovered N4 million and two voter cards belonging to members of his political party during a meeting allegedly held within his residence.

"I honestly do not understand how such an allegation justified inviting, or attempting to arrest, a public official of his standing," the Speaker stated.

Egbedun also recounted what he described as his own troubling encounter with Commissioner Gotan, alleging that the police chief attempted to leave him vulnerable despite intelligence suggesting that armed political thugs were planning to attack his residence.

He claimed that while he and his security team were preparing for the anticipated attack, the commissioner allegedly ordered all police officers attached to him to report to the commissioner's office for questioning.

"At one point, we received credible intelligence that some APC thugs were planning to attack my residence," he said.

"However, to my greatest surprise, my police orderly received a call from Commissioner Gotan directing that every police officer attached to me should report to his office for questioning that very day."

The Speaker said he immediately confronted the commissioner over the directive.

"I immediately telephoned the Commissioner and told him that I am a proud son of Onikoyi, and that I neither fear nor bow to intimidation," Egbedun said.

"I made it abundantly clear that I would never abandon my state or my ancestral home because of anyone, particularly someone I regard as a stranger."

He further alleged that Gotan and some officers under his command had destabilised Osun State and were plotting to implicate and arrest him.

"In my view, Commissioner Gotan and some officers under his command have caused significant disruption in Osun State," he said.

"For the past two weeks, I have received information suggesting that some of his officers have been moving around, allegedly planning and strategizing on how to implicate and arrest me."

According to the Speaker, several people had advised him to leave Osun State or vacate his residence for safety, but he insisted he would not succumb to intimidation.

"I have consistently maintained that I will not abandon Osun for anyone," he declared.

"If those behind these alleged plans decide to carry them out, I remain resolute in my belief that justice will ultimately prevail and that evil will never triumph over righteousness."

Egbedun appealed to the Inspector General of Police to intervene by redeploying Commissioner Gotan, insisting that the people of Osun deserved policing that was professional, impartial and guided by the rule of law.

"The people of Osun are peaceful, law-abiding citizens who deserve policing that is professional, impartial and respectful of the rule of law," he said.