The police have arrested a member of the Osun State House of Assembly, Abiola Ibrahim Inaolaji, alongside about 146 other persons in Ikire over their alleged involvement in voter mobilisation during Saturday’s governorship election.
Inaolaji, who represents the Irewole/Isokan State Constituency, was reportedly apprehended at his residence in Ikire after security operatives found a large number of people gathered there on election day.
The Osun State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, confirmed the arrests, saying the lawmaker was taken into custody by the Federal Bureau of Investigation-Intelligence Response Team in the early hours of Saturday.
“He was arrested in Ikire for harbouring suspected mercenaries. He was arrested with about 146 people,” Ojelabi said.
The arrests followed the emergence of a video showing police officers questioning the lawmaker over the presence of the large group at his residence.
The development reportedly raised concerns among security personnel monitoring the election.
Inaolaji, however, denied recruiting the people, insisting that they were voters who had gathered to participate in the election.
He said some of them were indigenes from outside the area and maintained that he had neither hired nor promised them anything.
“They are voters for the election happening today. Some of them are indigenes from outside. I did not hire them. I did not promise anything. Voting is their choice. I’m not their agent,” the lawmaker said.
The arrests came amid heightened security across Osun as voters cast their ballots in the governorship election.
The police are expected to investigate the identities and activities of those arrested and determine whether any electoral offences were committed.
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