The Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adewale Olumide Egbedun, has given a detailed account of events surrounding the attempted arrest of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Teslim Igbalaye, accusing the state’s Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gotan, of an abuse of power that he described as a source of concern and embarrassment to patriotic Nigerians.
According to Egbedun, he, the Deputy Governor, and the SSG were all present together at the recent INEC Stakeholders’ Meeting, where they witnessed CP Gotan being booed by citizens while addressing the podium. He said that upon returning to his seat, Gotan looked directly toward their group, at which point the SSG laughed.
Egbedun said he then observed the Commissioner making a series of phone calls, prompting him to turn to the SSG and remark that the Commissioner had just ordered his arrest. Minutes later, he said, the SSG received a call informing him that police officers were waiting at his residence, and he left the event immediately.
When Egbedun later reached out to find out what had happened, he said the SSG explained that he had been invited to the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) over an allegation that police had recovered ₦4 million and two voter cards belonging to members of his political party during a meeting held within his compound. Egbedun said he did not understand how such an allegation warranted inviting or attempting to arrest a public official of the SSG’s standing.
A Personal Account
Egbedun also recounted a separate incident involving his own security detail. He said that after receiving intelligence about a planned attack on his residence by alleged APC thugs, his police orderly received a call from CP Gotan directing that all officers attached to the Speaker report to his office for questioning that same day.
Egbedun said he responded by telling the Commissioner directly that he was “a proud son of Onikoyi” who neither feared nor bowed to intimidation, and made clear he would not abandon his state or ancestral home. He said he also reminded the Commissioner that every act of wrongdoing carries its own consequences.
Calls for IGP Intervention
Egbedun said he believed CP Gotan and some officers under his command had caused significant disruption in Osun State, adding that he had received information over the past two weeks suggesting some officers were strategising to implicate and arrest him. He said he had been advised by many to leave the state or vacate his residence for safety reasons but had refused, maintaining his resolve to remain in Osun regardless of any plans against him.
He appealed to the Inspector General of Police to urgently intervene, arguing that the people of Osun State deserved policing that is professional, impartial, and respectful of the rule of law, rather than what he described as the hardship and intimidation experienced under CP Gotan’s leadership.
