Osun State Police Command has arrested the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Teslim Igbalaye, alongside five others, following a raid on his residence in Osogbo where N4.8 million and a voter register were recovered.
DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, Police Public Relations Officer for the command, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, confirming that the operation was carried out based on credible intelligence about criminal gangs operating around Oroki Estate.
According to the statement, officers apprehended a suspect known as “Ashipa”—who had been on the police watchlist for serious offences including murder—at a residential property linked to the SSG. During the search, operatives recovered exhibits including N4.8 million in cash, a Dynabook laptop, a photocopy machine, a printer, two voter cards, and a voter register covering Wards 1–15.
Mr Ojelabi stated that all exhibits are currently in police custody for forensic examination, while the SSG and five others found on the premises have been taken into lawful custody.
Vote Buying Allegations
The recovery of cash alongside detailed voter information has raised “serious concerns” about possible electoral offences, the command noted. The suspects are to be investigated for alleged vote buying—contrary to Section 121 of the Electoral Act 2022—which prohibits the distribution of money or inducements to registered voters to influence their voting decisions.
Other charges under investigation include criminal conspiracy, harbouring a wanted criminal, and any additional offences that may emerge from the ongoing probe.
The police said investigations are being intensified to identify all individuals connected with the recovered items, establish the source and intended use of the funds, and determine the full scope of any criminal enterprise. The command vowed that anyone found culpable at the conclusion of investigations would be prosecuted in accordance with the law.
