The Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Adewale Egbedun, has given an account of the arrest of the Secretary to the State Government, Teslim Igbalaye, that contradicts the version given by the state police command’s spokesperson.
Egbedun accused the state Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gotan, of ordering the arrest of Igbalaye in retaliation for being booed at a public event.
He said the abuse of power involved “should be a source of concern and embarrassment to every patriotic Nigerian.”
In a personally signed statement on Thursday, the Speaker said he witnessed the trigger for the arrest at an Independent National Electoral Commission stakeholders’ meeting he attended alongside the Deputy Governor and Igbalaye.
“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,” he said.
Egbedun said he grew uneasy after watching Gotan reach for his phone.
“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 said.
His prediction, he said, played out within minutes.
“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,” he said.
Igbalaye later told him he had been invited to the State Criminal Investigation Department over items allegedly recovered from his compound.
“He informed me that he had been invited to the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) because the police allegedly recovered N4 million and two voter cards belonging to members of his political party who were holding a meeting within his compound.
“I honestly do not understand how such an allegation justified inviting, or attempting to arrest, a public official of his standing.”
The Osun Police Command had given a different account of the raid. Its Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Ojelabi, said officers acted on intelligence that criminal gangs were hiding out in Osogbo and recovered N4,810,500, two Permanent Voter’s Cards, a voter register and other items suspected to be linked to electoral offences.
He said only six suspects, all adults, were arrested, dismissing claims by the Adeleke campaign that dozens more had been picked up.
