Police arrest Osun SSG over cash, voter register recovered in raid
The police in Osun have detained the Secretary to the State Government, Teslim Igbalaye, along with five others, following a raid on his residence that recovered ₦4.81 million and voter registers.
The Osun State Police Command has arrested and detained the Secretary to the State Government, Teslim Igbalaye, along with five other suspects following a raid on his residence in Osogbo. Police said the operation was carried out after intelligence indicated that members of a criminal gang were hiding at the location. During the raid, officers recovered ₦4.81 million in cash, two Permanent Voter Cards, a voter register, a laptop, a photocopier and a printer.
According to the police, one of those arrested, Oladele Abiodun, was already on its watchlist over alleged criminal offences. Investigators said the recovered cash and voter register raised suspicions of possible electoral offences, including vote-buying, criminal conspiracy and harbouring a wanted suspect. However, the Osun State Government accused the police of invading the SSG’s residence without a search warrant and described the operation as unlawful.
The arrest of the SSG, one of the most senior officials in the state, is a major escalation ahead of the August 15 governorship election. The government’s allegation that the police acted without a warrant raises questions about the legality of the operation. The police, on the other hand, have justified the raid based on intelligence. The case is now a test of the rule of law and the independence of the police.
This echoes the 2022 pre-election tensions in Osun State, which also involved allegations of political interference by security agencies. The mechanism then was different, but the result was the same: a state government and the police at odds ahead of an election.
The winners: the Nigeria Police Force, if the raid was legitimate; and the opposition, if the raid was politically motivated. The losers: the Osun State Government, which faces a trust deficit; and the Nigerian public, who are watching closely.
Bottom Line: The Osun SSG is in police custody. The raid recovered cash and voter registers. The election is weeks away. The question is whether the arrest is justice or political theatre.