[UPDATED] Osun Election: Police Arrest Lawmaker with 200 PVCs, 146 Suspected Electoral Mercenaries

The Osun State Police Command has arrested a serving member of the State House of Assembly, Honourable Abiola Ibrahim Inaolaji, alongside 146 suspected electoral mercenaries in the early hours of Saturday in Ikire, Irewole Local Government Area, as part of security operations ahead of the governorship election. The lawmaker, who represents Irewole/Isokan State Constituency, was arrested at his residence during a joint operation. Confirming the arrest, the Osun State Police Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Ojelabi, said the operation was carried out by the FBI-IRT as part of intensified measures to prevent activities capable of undermining the credibility of the poll. According to the police, no fewer than 200 Permanent Voter Cards were recovered from the residence during the raid.

In a video clip obtained after the arrest, Inaolaji was seen identifying himself and allegedly stating that he facilitated the movement of the 146 suspects into Osun State from neighbouring states to participate in the governorship election. The police said the allegation remains subject to further investigation. Ojelabi told journalists that the lawmaker was arrested in Ikire with about 146 suspected mercenaries in the early hours of Saturday, and the suspects were allegedly found camped at the lawmaker’s father’s residence, with preliminary investigations indicating they were brought into Osun State from Ondo State to participate in unlawful electoral activities.

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In a separate operation at Babs Hotel, located behind the State High Court in Ede, operatives of the Anti-Robbery Section and the Violent Crime Response Unit arrested 33 suspected electoral mercenaries comprising 30 males and three females. Police said preliminary investigations indicated that the suspects were brought into Osun from Ondo State for alleged unlawful electoral activities, while four voters’ cards were recovered from them as exhibits. The suspects reportedly told investigators that an unidentified politician recruited them and promised financial rewards in exchange for voting, and the police said further investigation is ongoing to establish the identities and roles of those behind the alleged operation.

The Commissioner of Police in charge of election security, CP Samuel Etaifo Erale, reiterated the command’s commitment to ensuring a peaceful, free, fair and credible electoral process in Osun State, warning individuals and groups planning to engage in activities capable of undermining the election to desist, stressing that the police would deal decisively with electoral offences in accordance with the law. The Commissioner of Police in charge of election security had earlier disclosed that no fewer than 15,000 personnel had been deployed for the conduct of the poll, with a Deputy Inspector-General of Police overseeing the operation.

The arrests come as voting commenced across the 30 local government areas of the state amid heightened security. The election is being conducted under tight security following pre-election concerns over possible violence and intimidation, and stakeholders have continued to call on voters and political actors to maintain peace throughout voting and collation. Meanwhile, the APC deputy governorship candidate, Kayode Adereti, who voted at Ward 11, Unit 3, Ilare in Ife Central, described the voter turnout as impressive and commended the security arrangements and the operation of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System. “The turnout is impressive and the security is perfect. The BVAS is working well, and everyone is happy here,” Adereti said, urging eligible voters to come out and participate, saying the future of the state depended on active citizen participation, and appealing to political parties and supporters to remain peaceful and allow voters to freely choose the next governor.

[UPDATED] Osun Election: Police Arrest Lawmaker with 200 PVCs, 146 Suspected Electoral Mercenaries

Court Dissolves Marriage After Wife Accused of Nose Ring, Ankle Chain, TikTok Videos with Lover

The Grade A Customary Court, Court 2, sitting at Mapo, Ibadan, Oyo State, has dissolved the marriage between Barakat and her husband, Ige, following a divorce petition filed by the woman over allegations of lack of love and care, physical assault, and domestic violence. The court, presided over by Mrs. O.E. Owoseni, also granted custody of the couple’s children to the husband after finding that the wife had been disowned by her own children due to what the court described as her questionable character and indecent lifestyle.

Barakat, in her petition, alleged that Ige never loved her and was always finding fault with everything she did. She further accused him of having no trust in her and constantly alleging that she was unfaithful, claiming that her husband accused her of having an affair with a man who allegedly picked her up from home every morning after Ige had left for work and dropped her off at night. The plaintiff described Ige as a brute, alleging that he frequently assaulted her physically over claims that she was dating another man, and she also alleged that Ige had damaged her reputation before their children, thereby poisoning their minds against her and turning them against her.

Barakat told the court that her children had, as of the time of the proceedings, disowned her as their mother, and she therefore prayed the court to dissolve the marriage and grant her custody of their children. In his response, Ige denied all the allegations against him, except the claim that there was a lack of love in the marriage, and said Barakat took him to court because he frequently complained about her mode of dressing, which he considered indecent. Ige explained that his wife wore a nose ring and ankle chain, which he said he found displeasing and a bad influence on their children, and he further accused her of living an extravagant lifestyle that she could not afford.

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According to Ige, he had established several businesses for Barakat at different times, but she allegedly mismanaged and ruined them, including a shop with goods, a POS machine, and a meaningful amount of capital that all went down the drain. The defendant further alleged that Barakat was promiscuous and was in a relationship with a particular man, claiming that she often lied that she was attending a vigil when, according to him, she would instead spend the night with her alleged lover. He also alleged that Barakat made TikTok videos with the man and took pictures wearing his cap, and he eventually consented to the dissolution of the marriage but opposed Barakat’s request for custody of their children, arguing that she would have a negative influence on them if they were placed in her custody.

Barakat, in her evidence before the court, stated that she and her husband started living together shortly after they met, and they did not have a customary marriage, neither did he pay her bride price. She told the court that her husband never loved her, neglected her, and denied her the necessary care and attention, adding that all he knew to do was complain about everything she did and constantly nag her. “My husband always accused me of engaging in extramarital affairs and would descend on me with heavy punches,” Barakat testified, adding that her husband dented her image before their children and poisoned their minds against her, leading to the children disowning her.

In his response, Ige said all the accusations his wife brought against him were false, stating that they were always at loggerheads because of her indecent and extravagant lifestyle. “Our children are not proud to have her as their mother, which was the reason they disowned her,” he told the court, adding that his wife displeases him with the way she dresses and is a bad example to their children, going about with a ring on her nose and chains around her ankles, and refusing to take corrections from him. Ige reiterated his claim that Barakat was promiscuous and in a relationship with a particular man who picked her up from home and dropped her off at night, alleging that she lied about attending vigils and instead spent the night with her lover.

Ige noted that even Barakat’s mother had counselled her on various occasions against her illicit behaviour, but all had been to no avail, and since she was hardly ever at home, he and her mother had taken up the responsibility of caring for the children, bathing them, cooking their food, and washing their clothes. He also stated that his wife was presently not working because she had ruined the businesses he established for her at different times, and he prayed that the marriage be dissolved while opposing the idea of his wife having custody of their children, saying she would influence them negatively.

After hearing from both parties, the court president, Mrs O.E. Owoseni, proceeded to give her ruling, stating that there was no customary marriage held between both parties, and no dowry was paid, meaning they were merely cohabiting. According to her, the plaintiff was a person of questionable character and would impact their children negatively, and she noted that Barakat was presently unemployed and therefore lacked the means to take care of their children’s needs. The court president granted the defendant custody of their children and ordered him to be responsible for their upkeep, while the plaintiff was granted reasonable access to their children.

Court Dissolves Marriage After Wife Accused of Nose Ring, Ankle Chain, TikTok Videos with Lover