Osun Speaker Reveals Why SSG Was Arrested

The Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adewale Egbedun, has challenged the account given by the Osun State Police Command on the arrest of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Teslim Igbalaye, alleging that the action was driven by personal retaliation rather than the reasons officially stated by the police.

Egbedun accused the Osun State Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gotan, of ordering the SSG’s arrest after Igbalaye allegedly laughed when the police chief was booed by participants during an Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) stakeholders’ meeting. He described the action as an abuse of office and called on the Inspector-General of Police to redeploy the commissioner.

The Speaker made the allegations in a statement issued on Thursday titled, “My Account of What Happened to the Osun State Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Teslim Igbalaye,” in which he gave his version of the events surrounding the police action against the SSG.

His statement followed Wednesday’s announcement by the Osun State Police Command that Igbalaye and five others were arrested during a raid on a residence linked to the SSG in Oroki Estate, Osogbo, over alleged vote-buying and other electoral offences.

The police, through the command’s spokesperson, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, said the operation was carried out following credible and actionable intelligence on the activities of a suspected criminal group operating around the area.

According to the command, officers recovered N4,810,500 in cash, a Dynabook laptop, a photocopy machine, a printer, two Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and a voter register covering Wards 1 to 15. The police added that the items had been secured for forensic examination and further investigation.

Others arrested during the operation were identified as Akande Taiwo, 60; Oladele Abiodun, 38; Adeyemo Lukman, 45; Olaoye Muftau, 50; and Aderemi Musliu, 40.

However, Egbedun insisted that the police narrative did not reflect what transpired, maintaining that he, the Deputy Governor and the SSG were seated together throughout the INEC stakeholders’ meeting when the commissioner addressed participants and was allegedly booed.

“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 shortly afterwards, the commissioner began making several telephone calls, leading him to believe that instructions had been issued for the SSG’s arrest.

“The next thing I observed was Commissioner Gotan picking up his telephone and making a series of calls.

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

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

According to the Speaker, the SSG later informed him that he had been invited to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) over allegations that officers recovered N4 million and two voter cards belonging to members of his political party during a meeting allegedly held at his residence.

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

The Speaker also accused the police commissioner of using the command to intimidate government officials and political opponents. He further alleged that Gotan had previously attempted to withdraw police officers attached to him despite intelligence of a planned attack on his residence.

Egbedun said he had refused repeated advice to leave Osun State over alleged plots to implicate and arrest him, insisting that he would not succumb to intimidation.

He appealed to the Inspector-General of Police to redeploy the commissioner, arguing that residents of Osun deserved policing that was professional, impartial and guided by the rule of law.

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