Osun Assembly Speaker Adewale Egbedun alleged Commissioner of Police Ibrahim Gotan ordered the arrest of SSG Teslim Igbalaye after being booed, while police insist the operation targeted suspected electoral offences.
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Sideeq Oyeniyi
The Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Adewale Egbedun, has alleged that the Commissioner of Police in the state, Ibrahim Gotan, ordered the arrest of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Teslim Igbalaye, in retaliation for being booed by members of the public during an Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) stakeholders’ meeting.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Egbedun claimed he witnessed the incident, alleging that the police commissioner became visibly displeased after the crowd jeered him while he was addressing participants at the event attended by the Deputy Governor and the SSG.
According to the Speaker, shortly after the incident, Commissioner Gotan made several telephone calls, prompting him to warn Igbalaye that the police had likely ordered his arrest.
Egbedun said minutes later, the SSG received a call informing him that police officers were waiting at his residence, forcing him to leave the event.
The Speaker disclosed that Igbalaye later informed him that he had been invited to the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) over allegations that police recovered ₦4 million and two Permanent Voter Cards belonging to members of his political party who were reportedly meeting within his residence.
He questioned the basis for inviting or attempting to arrest a senior government official over the alleged recovery.
However, the Osun State Police Command has maintained that the operation was intelligence-driven and targeted suspected criminal hideouts in Osogbo.
The command’s spokesperson, Abiodun Ojelabi, stated that officers recovered ₦4,810,500, two Permanent Voter Cards, a voter register and other items suspected to be connected to electoral offences, adding that six adult suspects were arrested during the operation.
Egbedun further accused the police commissioner of abusing his office, citing a previous incident in which he alleged Gotan attempted to withdraw police personnel attached to him despite intelligence of an impending attack on his residence.
He also claimed to have received reports that some police officers were plotting to implicate and arrest him but insisted he would not leave Osun State out of fear.
The Speaker appealed to the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, to intervene, urging the police leadership to ensure professional, impartial and law-abiding policing in Osun State.
