The Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Adewale Egbedun, has disputed the police’s account of the arrest of the Secretary to the Osun State Government, Teslim Igbalaye.
Egbedun alleged that the arrest was motivated by personal retaliation rather than the reasons officially given by the Osun State Police Command.
The Speaker accused the Osun State Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gotan, of ordering Igbalaye’s arrest after he was booed by members of the public during a stakeholders’ meeting organised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Egbedun made the allegation in a statement he personally signed on Thursday.
He said he attended the INEC stakeholders’ meeting with the Deputy Governor and Igbalaye, where the incident allegedly happened.
According to him, the Commissioner of Police was jeered while speaking at the meeting before returning to his seat.
“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 said.
He described the incident as an abuse of power that should concern Nigerians.
Egbedun said he became suspicious after seeing the police commissioner make several phone calls shortly after the incident.
“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 stated.
The Speaker said his suspicion was confirmed a few minutes later when Igbalaye received a phone call informing him that police officers were waiting for him 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,” he added.
Egbedun said Igbalaye later informed him that he had been invited to the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) over allegations that police recovered cash and voter cards from his residence.
“He informed me that he had been invited to the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) because the police allegedly recovered ₦4 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 Speaker maintained that the circumstances surrounding the arrest contradicted the explanation earlier given by the Osun State Police Command and insisted that the incident amounted to an abuse of power that should concern every patriotic Nigerian.
