The Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Adewale Egbedun, has alleged that the Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gotan, ordered the arrest of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Teslim Igbalaye, out of personal retaliation after being booed at a public event.
In a signed statement released on Thursday, July 30, 2026, Egbedun provided a direct eyewitness account contradicting official statements issued by the Osun State Police Command.
According to Egbedun, the rift escalated during an Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) stakeholders’ meeting attended by top state officials.
A public snub and an immediate phone call
The Speaker revealed that the trouble began when citizens booed CP Gotan while he was speaking on stage.
“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,” Egbedun stated.
Egbedun noted that Gotan immediately reached for his phone to place multiple calls. Sensing danger, the Speaker warned Igbalaye that his arrest had just been ordered.
Within minutes, the SSG received word that police personnel were waiting at his private residence, forcing him to leave the event abruptly. Igbalaye was subsequently invited to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) over ₦4 million cash and two voter cards allegedly seized from political associates holding a meeting on his property.
Police defend raid as anti-crime operation
The Osun State Police Command pushed back against the Speaker’s account. Police Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Ojelabi, stated that officers acted strictly on intelligence regarding criminal hideouts in Osogbo.
Ojelabi confirmed that police recovered ₦4,810,500, two Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs), and voter registers linked to alleged electoral offences, adding that six adult suspects were taken into custody.
Responding to demands for his removal, CP Gotan maintained through his spokesperson that decisions regarding his deployment lie exclusively with the Inspector-General of Police.
Speaker alleges personal plot and calls for IGP intervention
Speaker Egbedun further claimed that CP Gotan had previously attempted to compromise his personal security detail following intelligence of a planned attack on his residence.
“For the past two weeks, I have received information suggesting that some of his officers have been moving around, allegedly planning and strategising on how to implicate and arrest me,” Egbedun claimed, adding that he refuses to flee the state despite safety warnings.
Egbedun formally petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, to intervene and redeploy Commissioner Gotan to restore impartial policing in Osun State.
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