The Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Adewale Egbedun, has accused the state’s commissioner of police, Ibrahim Gotan, of power abuse in the arrest of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Teslim Igbalaye.

The state police command said on Wednesday it arrested Mr Igbalaye and five others and recovered from his residence items such as N4.8 million cash, one Dynabook laptop, one photocopy machine, one printer, two voter cards and a voter register for wards 1-15. 

The speaker however said on Thursday that the arrest of the SSG was a source of concern and embarrassment to every patriotic Nigerian.

He alleged that Mr Igbalaye was arrested after laughing when Mr Gotan was booed at a recent stakeholders’ meeting organised by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

“The deputy governor, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and I were all present at the INEC stakeholders’ meeting, where we sat together throughout the proceedings,” Mr Egbedun stated.

“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,” he said.

The speaker stated that he observed that Mr Gotan made a series of phone calls, and he immediately warned the SSG’s arrest that the SSG had ordered his arrest.

He said the SSG later received a call informing him that police officers were waiting at his residence and left the stakeholders’ meeting before it ended.

“Some minutes later, I contacted him to find out what had happened. He informed me that he had been invited to the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) because the police allegedly recovered N4 million and two voter cards belonging to members of his political party who were holding a meeting within his compound,” the lawmaker stated.

“I honestly do not understand how such an allegation justified inviting, or attempting to arrest a public official of his standing,” he said.

Mr Egbedun, who recounted his experience with the police commissioner, alleged that Mr Gotan ordered the withdrawal of police officers attached to him despite intelligence of a planned attack on his residence.

The lawmaker stated, “At one point, we received credible intelligence that some APC thugs were planning to attack my residence. My security personnel and I remained on high alert in anticipation of the attack. However, to my greatest surprise, my police orderly received a call from Commissioner Gotan directing that every police officer attached to me should report to his office for questioning that very day.”

He said he confronted Mr Gotan over the directive, insisting he would not be intimidated into leaving his home or abandoning the state.

“I immediately telephoned the commissioner and told him that I am a proud son of Onikoyi, and that I will neither fear nor bow to intimidation,” Mr Egbedun said.

“I made it abundantly clear that I would never abandon my state or my ancestral home because of anyone, particularly someone I regard as a stranger. I also reminded him that, ultimately, every act of wrongdoing attracts its own consequences,” he said.

Mr Egbedun accused Mr Gotan of causing “significant disruption” in the state, adding that he received intelligence that some officers under the police commissioner were plotting to implicate and arrest him.

“Indeed, many people have advised me to leave Osun State or vacate my residence for my own safety. However, I have consistently maintained that I will not abandon Osun for anyone,” he said.

“If those behind these alleged plans decide to carry them out, I remain resolute in my belief that justice will ultimately prevail and that evil will never triumph over righteousness,” he added.

The speaker called on the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, to intervene and redeploy Mr Gotan.

The lawmaker alleged that residents had endured hardship and intimidation under Mr Gotan’s leadership.

“I, therefore, make a sincere appeal to the Inspector-General of Police to urgently intervene and relieve the people of Osun State of what I consider the hardship and intimidation they have endured under the leadership of Commissioner Ibrahim Gotan,” Mr Egbedun said.

“The people of Osun are peaceful, law-abiding citizens who deserve policing that is professional, impartial and respectful of the rule of law,” he said.