The Secretary to the Osun State Government (SSG), Teslim Igbalaye, and five others have been detained following a police raid on his residence in Osogbo on Wednesday, July 29, 2026.
The Osun State Police Command said the operation followed intelligence linking the premises to suspected criminal activities. It added that one of those arrested, Oladele Abiodun, was already on its watchlist.
Others taken into custody are Akande Taiwo, 60; Adeyemo Lukman, 45; Olaoye Muftau, 50; and Aderemi Musliu, 40.
Police said the raid yielded ₦4.81 million, a Dynabook laptop, a photocopier, a printer, two Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and a voter register covering Wards 1 to 15.
The command said investigators are examining the source and intended use of the recovered cash and electoral materials as part of a probe into alleged vote-buying, criminal conspiracy, harboring a wanted suspect and other possible offences.
It stressed that the investigation would be conducted in line with due process, maintaining that anyone found culpable would face prosecution.
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The command also urged residents to remain calm and continue supporting law enforcement with credible information.
The operation, however, drew swift condemnation from the Osun State Government.
Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, alleged that police officers stormed the SSG’s residence without presenting a valid search warrant.
He also claimed the operation, led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, resulted in the arrest of everyone found on the premises.
The incident comes less than three weeks before the August 15, 2026, Osun governorship election, amid heightened security to curb electoral violence and other poll-related offences.
It also revives concerns that surfaced during the July 16, 2022, governorship election, when observer groups reported allegations of vote-buying despite describing the poll as largely peaceful.
As of press time, no formal charges had been filed, while police investigations were ongoing and the state government continued to challenge the legality of the operation.