Osun Speaker: CP Gotan Arrested SSG Igbalaye for Laughing When Police Boss Was Booed

The Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Adewale Egbedun, has alleged that the state Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gotan, ordered the arrest of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Teslim Igbalaye, in retaliation for laughing when the police chief was booed at a public event. The accusation deepens the controversy surrounding the SSG’s detention, which has sparked a heated political backlash ahead of the August 15 governorship election. The Speaker’s account directly contradicts the official narrative from the Osun State Police Command, which has maintained that the raid and arrests were based on credible intelligence concerning suspected electoral offences and criminal activity.

According to Egbedun, he was attending an Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) stakeholders’ meeting alongside the Deputy Governor and the SSG when the incident began. He claimed that during the meeting, members of the public booed Commissioner Gotan while he was on the podium, and upon returning to his seat, the police chief noticed Igbalaye laughing at the situation. “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,” Egbedun stated. The Speaker said he became suspicious after watching Gotan reach for his phone and make several calls. “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,'” he alleged. According to Egbedun, his prediction was confirmed within minutes when Igbalaye received a call informing him that police officers were waiting at his residence. “A few minutes later, the SSG received a telephone call informing him that police officers were waiting for him at his residence. He immediately stood up and left the event, leaving the Deputy Governor and me behind,” the Speaker said.

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The Osun State Police Command has presented a markedly different version of events. The command’s Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Ojelabi, said operatives acted on intelligence reports that a criminal gang was operating from a location in Osogbo, leading to the raid on the SSG’s residence in the Oroki Estate area. Police said they recovered significant exhibits during the operation, including ₦4,810,500 in cash, two Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), a voter register covering Wards 1 to 15, a Dynabook laptop, a photocopy machine, and a printer. Six suspects were arrested, including Igbalaye and one Oladele Abiodun, described as a wanted suspect already on the police watchlist for alleged criminal offences. The command stated that the recovered items “raises serious concerns regarding possible electoral offences and other criminal activities,” specifically citing vote-buying contrary to Section 121 of the Electoral Act 2022, criminal conspiracy, and harbouring a wanted suspect.

Egbedun insisted that the SSG’s arrest was not an isolated incident, describing what he called a broader pattern of intimidation against officials of Governor Ademola Adeleke’s administration. He recounted a separate incident in which, after receiving intelligence about a planned attack on his residence, Commissioner Gotan allegedly ordered all police officers attached to his security detail to report for questioning. “We received credible intelligence that some thugs were planning to attack my residence. My security personnel and I remained on high alert in anticipation of the attack. 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 alleged. Egbedun said he confronted the commissioner directly, telling him he would not be intimidated. “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,” he said.

The Osun State Government strongly condemned the police action, with the Commissioner for Information, Kolapo Alimi, describing it as a major threat to a free and fair election. The government insisted that Igbalaye was not at home during the raid, as he was attending the INEC stakeholders’ meeting. The opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) offered a contrasting interpretation, describing the raid as vindication of its allegations that the ruling party was planning vote-buying. The Accord Party has also demanded the immediate redeployment of Commissioner Gotan, with the Imole Campaign Council alleging that 86 Accord Party members had been arrested in the preceding days.

The Osun State Police Command released Igbalaye on Thursday, less than 24 hours after his arrest. The Imole Campaign Council spokesperson, Pelumi Olajengbesi, welcomed the release, describing it as a “triumph of justice,” while the police confirmed that investigations into the recovered exhibits and alleged offences are still ongoing. Egbedun has appealed to the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, to urgently intervene and review the conduct of Commissioner Gotan. He argued that the people of Osun deserve “policing that is professional, impartial and respectful of the rule of law.”

Osun Speaker: CP Gotan Arrested SSG Igbalaye for Laughing When Police Boss Was Booed

Police Release Osun SSG After Controversial Arrest Over Alleged Electoral Offences

The Osun State Police Command has released the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Teslim Igbalaye, less than 24 hours after his arrest during a raid on his residence in Osogbo. His release was confirmed on Thursday, July 30, by both the police and the Imole Campaign Council, the group coordinating Governor Ademola Adeleke’s re-election campaign. The spokesperson for the Imole Campaign Council, Pelumi Olajengbesi, announced the development on his verified Facebook page, commending the Inspector-General of Police and the Osun State Commissioner of Police for what he described as heeding public concerns over the arrest. Olajengbesi described the release as a triumph of justice, stating, “The Nigerian Police Force best serves the nation when it stands against oppression and upholds justice and the rule of law. Welcome back, Chief Igbalaye Teslim. Your courage and sacrifice for the people of Osun State will not be forgotten. Our SSG is out, back and solid.” The Police Public Relations Officer in Osun, Abiodun Ojelabi, also confirmed the SSG’s release during a telephone interview with journalists in Osogbo, but maintained that investigations into the case were still ongoing.

Igbalaye and five others were arrested on Wednesday, July 29, after police operatives raided his residence in the Oroki Estate area of Osogbo. The police stated that the operation followed intelligence reports that suspected criminal elements, including a wanted suspect, were operating from the location. One of those apprehended was Oladele Abiodun (also known as Abiodun Arowomole or “Ashipa”), who was said to be on the command’s watchlist over alleged criminal offences. Others arrested were identified as Akande Taiwo, 60; Adeyemo Lukman, 45; Olaoye Muftau, 50; and Aderemi Musliu, 40. During the operation, police recovered exhibits including ₦4,810,500 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 said the recovery of cash and voters’ details raised concerns about possible electoral offences, including vote-buying contrary to Section 121 of the Electoral Act 2022, criminal conspiracy, and harbouring a wanted suspect. The command stated that all exhibits had been secured for forensic examination and further investigation.

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The arrest immediately sparked outrage within the Osun State Government, which accused the police of targeting senior government officials ahead of the August 15 governorship election. The state government, through the Commissioner for Information, Kolapo Alimi, described the raid as illegal and an escalation of what it called targeted harassment of top government officials and members of the Accord Party. The government insisted that ward officials were merely holding a political meeting at the residence while the SSG attended the INEC stakeholders’ forum. The controversy deepened when the Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Adewale Egbedun, alleged that the Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gotan, ordered the SSG’s arrest after being booed at an Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) stakeholders’ meeting. According to Egbedun, the commissioner was jeered by some attendees, and Igbalaye laughed during the incident, prompting Gotan to make phone calls that led to 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 stated. The opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), however, described the raid as vindication of its allegations that the ruling party was planning vote-buying.

The police have rejected allegations of political motivation, maintaining that the operation was intelligence-driven and lawful. The command reiterated its commitment to enforcing electoral laws “without fear or favour” and insisted the raid was conducted as part of an investigation into alleged criminal activities and possible violations of the Electoral Act. Although the SSG has been released, the police said investigations into the recovered exhibits and alleged offences are still ongoing.

Police Release Osun SSG After Controversial Arrest Over Alleged Electoral Offences