Six Arrested as Security Forces Uncover Voter Registers, Electoral Materials in Osogbo Mansion
In a dramatic pre-election crackdown, Osun State police have arrested the Secretary to the State Government, Teslim Igbalaye, and five others in an alleged vote-buying operation that netted N4.8 million in cash.
The raid, which targeted a residence linked to the SSG in Osogbo’s upscale Oroki Estate, also uncovered laptops, photocopy machines, printers, voter cards, and detailed voter registers for Wards 1-15.
“No one is above the law,” Police spokesperson Abiodun Ojelabi declared, confirming the arrests just weeks before the state’s high-stakes August 15 governorship election.
The suspects include:
· Hon. Igbalaye Teslim, 47 (SSG)
· Akande Taiwo, 60
· Oladele Abiodun, 38
· Adeyemo Lukman, 45
· Olaoye Muftau, 50
· Aderemi Musliu, 40
Among those arrested was Abiodun Arowomole, alias “Ashipa,” who police say has been on their watchlist for serious crimes including murder.
Political Firestorm Erupts
But in a sharp twist, Osun’s information commissioner, Kolapo Alimi, has slammed the operation as a “gestapo-style invasion” and accused police of partisan witch-hunting on behalf of the opposition APC.
Alimi claimed the SSG was actually attending an INEC stakeholders’ forum when his home was raided, and alleged that five other commissioners’ residences have been “shadowed or busted” in recent days.
Electoral Act Violations
Police say the evidence points to:
· Vote-buying under Section 121 of the Electoral Act 2022
· Criminal conspiracy
· Harboring wanted criminals
“The recovery of cash and voter registers raises serious concerns regarding possible electoral offences,” Ojelabi stated, promising a thorough forensic examination.
Tension Mounts Ahead of August 15 Poll
The arrests come amid escalating political warfare between Governor Ademola Adeleke’s Accord Party and the APC, with both sides trading accusations of violence and electoral manipulation.
: Osun 2026 Governorship Election | Electoral Act Amendments | INEC Stakeholder Meetings | Nigeria’s Anti-Vote Buying Laws
