The Osun State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Teslim Igbalaye, along with five other individuals, following a security operation at a property linked to the senior government official in Osogbo.
Police said the raid was carried out after intelligence reports suggested that suspected members of a criminal gang were hiding inside a residence in the Oroki Estate area of the state capital. During the operation, officers arrested six people, including Oladele Abiodun, popularly known as “Ashipa,” who had reportedly been on the police watchlist over alleged involvement in serious crimes, including murder.
The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, identified those arrested as Teslim Igbalaye, 47; Akande Taiwo, 60; Oladele Abiodun, 38; Adeyemo Lukman, 45; Olaoye Muftau, 50; and Aderemi Musliu, 40.
According to the police, officers recovered ₦4.81 million in cash, a Dynabook laptop, a photocopy machine, a printer, two voter cards, and a voter register covering Wards 1 to 15. Investigators have taken the recovered items into custody for forensic examination as part of an ongoing investigation.
The command said the discoveries have raised concerns about possible electoral offences and other criminal activities. Police disclosed that investigators are examining allegations including vote-buying under Section 121 of the Electoral Act 2022, criminal conspiracy, and the alleged harbouring of a wanted suspect. Authorities also said additional offences could emerge as investigations continue.
“The recovery of the cash and the register containing voters’ details raises serious concerns regarding possible electoral offences and other criminal activities,” the police said, adding that investigators are working to establish the source of the recovered funds, identify everyone connected to the seized items, and determine whether any electoral laws were breached.
The police stressed that no individual is above the law regardless of political position or social status, assuring residents that anyone found culpable would be prosecuted. The command also appealed to members of the public to remain calm and continue providing credible information that could help security agencies maintain peace and protect the integrity of the electoral process.
Meanwhile, the Accord Party has condemned the arrests, describing them as politically motivated and aimed at intimidating its members ahead of the August 15 governorship election in Osun State. Speaking in Abuja, the spokesperson for the Imole Campaign Council, Pelumi Olajengbesi, alleged that more than 86 Accord Party members, including candidates and government officials, had been arrested without justification. He called for the immediate redeployment of the Osun State Commissioner of Police, accusing him of compromising the electoral environment. The police, however, insisted that the operation was intelligence-driven and carried out in line with its constitutional responsibility to investigate suspected criminal activities without fear or favour.
