The Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Adewale Egbedun, has alleged that the state’s Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gotan, ordered the arrest of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Teslim Igbalaye, after being booed during an Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) stakeholders’ meeting.
According to CDA News Nigeria, Egbedun, in a personally signed statement on Thursday, said he witnessed the incident firsthand while attending the meeting alongside the Deputy Governor and the SSG.
The Speaker claimed that shortly after the Commissioner of Police was booed by some attendees, he looked in the direction of the state officials, where the SSG allegedly laughed. Egbedun said the police commissioner then made a series of telephone calls, prompting him to warn Igbalaye that his arrest had been ordered.
According to Egbedun, the SSG soon received a call informing him that police officers were waiting at his residence. He later learnt that Igbalaye had been invited to the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) over the alleged recovery of N4.81 million, two Permanent Voter’s Cards and other electoral materials from his compound.
However, the Osun State Police Command has maintained a different position. Police spokesperson Abiodun Ojelabi said the operation followed credible intelligence on suspected criminal hideouts in Osogbo, leading to the recovery of cash, voter cards, a voter register and other items believed to be linked to electoral offences.
CDA News Nigeria independently verified that both the Speaker and the police have presented differing accounts of the incident. Investigations are ongoing, and the police have not publicly responded to Egbedun’s allegations regarding the motive for the arrest.
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