The paraded suspects
Osun State Police Command has arrested a serving member of the State House of Assembly, Abiola Inaolaji, along with 146 suspected political thugs during a security operation in Ikire, Irewole Local Government Area, ahead of the state’s governorship election.
The arrest was confirmed on Saturday in Osogbo by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Abiosun Ojelabi.
According to the police spokesperson, Inaolaji, who represents the Irewole/Isokan State Constituency under the Accord Party, was apprehended in the early hours of Saturday during a coordinated operation involving officers from the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) and other security operatives.
Ojelabi explained that the operation formed part of intensified security measures aimed at preventing violence and any activities capable of compromising the integrity of the ongoing electoral process in the state.
He noted that security agencies remain committed to ensuring a peaceful, credible and transparent election, warning that anyone found engaging in unlawful activities would face the full weight of the law.
Meanwhile, a video circulating on social media, seen by journalists, showed a man identified simply as Ibrahim allegedly admitting that he coordinated the movement of 146 individuals from neighbouring states into Osun for the purpose of participating in the election.
The police have yet to disclose whether further arrests will be made as investigations continue.
The development comes amid heightened security across Osun, where law enforcement agencies have stepped up surveillance and enforcement to maintain law and order during the governorship poll.
