Police Probe Alleged Self-Kidnapping of Adeleke’s Aide in Osun

Police Probe Alleged Self-Kidnapping of Adeleke’s Aide in Osun

The Osun State Police Command is investigating an alleged self-kidnapping involving Shakirulahi Babatunde, a media aide to Governor Ademola Adeleke, amid claims that the incident was intended to obtain money from government officials.

The controversy began after Babatunde reportedly sent a message claiming that he had been kidnapped, prompting the state government to alert the police.

According to Governor Adeleke’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, an incident report was immediately lodged with the police on the instruction of the governor’s Chief of Staff, Kazeem Akinleye.

The matter was subsequently referred to the Anti-Kidnapping Squad of the Osun State Police Command, which commenced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the reported abduction.

The development took a different turn after allegations emerged that Babatunde may have staged the incident himself in an attempt to extort money from the Osun State Government.

Reports said the alleged incident occurred in Ede, Osun State, with claims that the aide remained in a hideout while contacts were made concerning the purported kidnapping.

The state government has confirmed that the matter is under investigation but has rejected allegations that senior officials of the Adeleke administration are attempting to interfere with the process.

READ ALSO:

• Tinubu, Fani-Kayode Face Proposed $36m US Lawsuit Over Alleged Threats
• Osun APC Warns Adeleke Govt Over Alleged Victimisation of Local Govt Workers
• 18 Suspected Bandits Killed as Security Forces Foil Mass Kidnap in Katsina

Rasheed said the government had no reason to frustrate an investigation into a case that it had itself reported to the police.

He also denied reports that Akinleye or other officials attempted to influence police officers or pay them to suppress the investigation.

The spokesperson said the administration would wait for the outcome of the police probe before taking any further action.

The controversy has also triggered a fresh exchange between the Osun State Government and the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The opposition party alleged that some government officials initially publicised the reported kidnapping on social media and blamed opposition elements before the circumstances surrounding the case changed.

The APC further alleged that Babatunde was arrested by police officers attached to the Dugbe Division in Osogbo after he was allegedly traced to a hideout.

The party also claimed that the aide confessed to staging the alleged kidnapping.

However, the reported confession has not been independently established by a detailed public statement from the police.

The Osun State Police Command had not publicly released a comprehensive account of the alleged arrest, the circumstances surrounding the discovery of the aide or any confession attributed to him as of the latest reports.

The government has therefore urged the public to allow law enforcement authorities to complete their investigation rather than rely on competing claims surrounding the incident.

The case has attracted attention because of Babatunde’s position as a media aide to Governor Adeleke and the wider political tension between the APC and the Osun Government.

The allegations also come against the background of continuing political disputes in Osun following the 2026 governorship election, won by Adeleke.

For now, the police investigation remains central to determining what happened and whether the reported kidnapping was deliberately staged.

While the state government says it promptly reported the matter and has denied interfering with the probe, the APC has raised allegations about the handling of the incident and called for a transparent investigation.

Until the police release their findings or a court makes a determination, claims that Babatunde deliberately staged his own kidnapping or sought to obtain money through the alleged abduction remain allegations.

Police Probe Alleged Self-Kidnapping of Adeleke’s Aide in Osun