Osun SSG, Five Others Arrested As Police Raid Residence Over Alleged Vote-Buying

The Osun State Police Command has arrested the Secretary to the State Government, Teslim Igbalaye, along with five other persons, following a raid on his residence in Osogbo. Consequently, the development has thrown the state’s political landscape into fresh controversy, coming just as tensions simmer ahead of electoral activities in the state.

According to a statement issued on Wednesday, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, disclosed that operatives acted on credible intelligence linking a criminal gang to the Oroki Estate area of Osogbo. As a result, officers moved swiftly and carried out what the command described as a lawful operation within the vicinity.

During the raid, police apprehended a suspect identified as Abiodun Arowomole, popularly known as “Ashipa,” who had reportedly been on the command’s watchlist for serious offences, including murder. Notably, officers found him at a residential property linked to the SSG, which subsequently triggered the wider arrest operation.

Furthermore, the police confirmed that they took six persons into custody during the exercise. These included Igbalaye Teslim, 47; Akande Taiwo, 60; Oladele Abiodun, 38; Adeyemo Lukman, 45; Olaoye Muftau, 50; and Aderemi Musliu, 40. In addition, officers recovered a substantial cache of items from the premises, comprising ₦4,810,500 in cash, a Dynabook laptop, a photocopier, a printer, two Permanent Voter Cards, and a voter register covering Wards 1 to 15.

“Operatives recovered cash sum of four million eight hundred ten thousand, five hundred naira (N4,810,500), one Dynabook Laptop, one Photocopy Machine, one Printer, two Voter’s Card and voter register for Ward 1-15.”

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The command further noted that it has secured all recovered exhibits for forensic examination as investigations continue.

Meanwhile, the Osun State Government has pushed back sharply against the police operation, accusing officers of storming Igbalaye’s residence without a valid search warrant. The Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, raised the alarm in a statement, alleging that police have repeatedly targeted the homes of top government officials without following due process.

“The Osun state government has raised alarm over systematic invasion, attacks and bursting of homes of top Osun state government officials by the Osun state police command without proper search warrant.”

He also claimed that the SSG was not even present when officers arrived, since Igbalaye was reportedly attending a stakeholders’ forum organised by the Independent National Electoral Commission at the time.

Additionally, the commissioner alleged that ward officials had merely been holding a meeting on the premises when police stormed in. He further claimed that a similar incident had occurred a day earlier, when officers allegedly raided the residence of the Commissioner for Energy in Ikire, ransacking the building in the process.

Despite the government’s objections, however, the police have maintained that the operation was legitimate and necessary. Investigators are now examining possible breaches of the Electoral Act 2022, particularly around allegations of voter inducement through cash distribution. Beyond that, authorities are also probing whether anyone at the property knowingly harboured a wanted suspect.

As the investigation unfolds, the police have indicated that additional charges may follow, depending on forensic findings and further evidence gathered from the scene. For now, though, all six suspects remain in custody while both sides trade accusations over the legality of the raid.

Ultimately, the incident has reignited concerns about the relationship between law enforcement and political office holders in Osun State, especially with electoral activities drawing closer. Consequently, observers say the coming days will likely determine whether the arrests strengthen public confidence in anti-corruption enforcement or deepen mistrust between the state government and the police command.