Police say Teslim Igbalaye and five others are being investigated after cash, voter cards and a voter register were recovered, while the state government alleges an unlawful raid

The arrest of Osun State Secretary to the State Government, Teslim Igbalaye, and five others has triggered a sharp dispute between the Osun State Police Command and the state government following a raid at the SSG’s residence in Osogbo on Wednesday.

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The police said Igbalaye, 47, was arrested alongside Akande Taiwo, 60, Oladele Abiodun, 38, Adeyemo Lukman, 45, Olaoye Muftau, 50, and Aderemi Musliu, 40, during an intelligence-led operation targeting suspected members of a criminal gang.

The command also identified Abiodun as a suspect on its watchlist in connection with alleged criminal offences.

According to the Police Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Ojelabi, the operation led to the recovery of $3,321, equivalent to N4,810,500, two Permanent Voter Cards, a voter register covering Wards 1 to 15, a Dynabook laptop, a photocopier and a printer.

Ojelabi said the police team acted on intelligence that members of a criminal gang were hiding at a location in Osogbo before carrying out what the command described as a lawful raid.

He said the recovered items had been secured in police custody for forensic examination and further investigation.

“The recovery of the cash and the register containing voters’ details raises serious concerns regarding possible electoral offences and other criminal activities,” the police statement said.

The command said the investigation would examine the source and intended use of the recovered funds and determine whether the suspects had any connection to alleged criminal activities.

Among the possible offences being investigated, according to the police, is voter bribery, or vote-buying, under Section 121 of the Electoral Act, 2022.

The command also listed criminal conspiracy and the alleged harbouring or concealment of a wanted criminal among offences that could potentially arise from the investigation, while stressing that other offences could be established as inquiries progress.

Police authorities emphasised that the allegations carried significant implications for public security, the administration of justice and the credibility of Nigeria’s democratic process.

“Accordingly, investigations are being intensified to identify all persons connected with the recovered exhibits, establish the source and intended use of the recovered funds, and determine the full extent of any criminal enterprise,” the statement added.

The police also maintained that no individual was above the law, regardless of political affiliation, social status or public office.

The command said anyone found culpable at the conclusion of the investigation would be prosecuted in accordance with the Constitution and applicable laws.

However, the Osun State Government has disputed the police account of the operation, alleging that officers invaded Igbalaye’s residence without a search warrant.

The state government’s position was contained in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, and obtained in Osogbo on Wednesday.

Alimi alleged that a combined team of police officers, led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, forced its way into the SSG’s residence.

He further claimed that the individuals present on the premises were arrested during the operation.

The government’s allegation introduces a significant legal and procedural dispute into the case, with the two sides offering sharply different accounts of how the operation was conducted.

While the police described the raid as a lawful operation based on intelligence concerning suspected criminal activity, the state government questioned the legality of the search and the manner in which the arrests were carried out.

The disagreement is particularly sensitive because the items reportedly recovered include voter cards and a register containing details of voters across 15 wards.

The police said these materials, alongside the recovered cash, would undergo forensic examination as investigators seek to establish their relevance to any alleged electoral or criminal activity.

The recovery has also raised questions about the circumstances in which the materials were found at the residence of a senior state government official.

However, the police have not established that Igbalaye personally owned or controlled all the recovered items, and the investigation remains ongoing.

Similarly, the arrest of Igbalaye does not in itself establish guilt, as the allegations against him and the other suspects must be tested through due process and, where necessary, the courts.

The Osun SSG arrest has therefore created an unusual political and security flashpoint, placing the state government and the police command on opposing sides of a dispute involving alleged electoral offences, suspected criminal activity and the legality of a police search.

The development also comes against the backdrop of Nigeria’s continuing concerns over vote-buying and the use of voter information during electoral periods.

Any proven misuse of electoral materials or inducements could have wider implications for public confidence in the democratic process.

For now, the police say investigations are being intensified and that the recovered exhibits remain in custody, while the state government has raised questions over the legality of the operation.

The police urged residents to remain calm and law-abiding and called for credible information that could assist in preventing crime and supporting peaceful, free, fair and credible elections.

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The competing accounts are expected to keep attention focused on the investigation, particularly on the circumstances surrounding the raid, the ownership and intended use of the recovered items, and whether any criminal or electoral offences can ultimately be established against those arrested.