The Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Adewale Egbedun, has alleged that the arrest of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Teslim Igbalaye, was driven by personal retaliation rather than the reasons given by the police.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Egbedun claimed that the Osun State Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gotan, ordered the SSG’s arrest after an incident during a stakeholders’ meeting organised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
According to the Speaker, he attended the meeting alongside the Deputy Governor and Igbalaye when the police commissioner was reportedly booed by some participants while addressing the gathering.
Egbedun alleged that after returning to his seat, the commissioner looked toward where they were seated, at which point Igbalaye laughed.
He said he noticed the commissioner making several phone calls immediately after the incident, prompting him to warn the SSG that he believed an arrest had been ordered.
Moments later, Egbedun said, Igbalaye received a phone call informing him that police officers were waiting at his residence, forcing him to leave the event.
The Speaker further disclosed that the SSG later informed him he had been invited to the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) over allegations that police recovered ₦4 million and two voter cards from individuals holding a political meeting within his residence.
Egbedun questioned the basis for inviting or attempting to arrest a senior government official over such allegations, insisting that the circumstances surrounding the incident did not align with the explanation earlier provided by the Osun State Police Command.
He described the development as an abuse of power and urged Nigerians to pay close attention to the matter, maintaining that public institutions must not be used for personal or political vendettas.
The police had earlier stated that the invitation of the SSG was connected to allegations involving recovered cash and voter cards, but Egbedun insists the action was triggered by events that unfolded during the INEC stakeholders’ meeting.
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