The Osun State Police Command has arrested a serving member of the state House of Assembly, Abiola Ibrahim Inaolaji, alongside about 146 people described by the police as suspected electoral mercenaries in the early hours of Saturday.
Inaolaji, who represents the Irewole/Isokan State Constituency and is a member of the Accord Party, was arrested in Ikire, Irewole Local Government Area, during an operation by officers of the Federal Bureau of Investigation–Intelligence Response Team (FBI-IRT).
The Osun State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, confirmed the arrest, saying the lawmaker was taken into custody for allegedly harbouring the suspected mercenaries at his residence. According to the police, approximately 146 people were arrested alongside him.
The development came after a video circulated online showing police officers questioning the lawmaker about the large number of people gathered at his private residence. When asked about their presence, Inaolaji reportedly told the officers that they were voters who had come to participate in the governorship election.
The lawmaker also maintained that some of the people were indigenes of Osun who had travelled from outside the state. He denied hiring them or promising them anything in exchange for their participation in the election, insisting that voting was their personal choice.
However, the police said their preliminary investigation indicated that the individuals were suspected to have been brought into the state for unlawful electoral activities. Another report said more than 200 Permanent Voter Cards were reportedly recovered during the operation, although the circumstances surrounding the cards remain subject to investigation.
The arrests come as security agencies maintain heightened surveillance across Osun during the governorship election, following concerns about political violence, voter intimidation and other forms of electoral malpractice.
The police have been particularly focused on preventing the movement of individuals suspected of being political thugs or electoral mercenaries who could disrupt voting or influence the outcome of the election.
Inaolaji is currently in police custody while investigations continue. The authorities are expected to establish the identities of those arrested, where they came from and the purpose of their presence at the lawmaker’s residence.
The incident has also generated questions about the movement of voters between states during elections. While Nigerians are free to travel, voting is tied to registration and designated polling units, making the presence of a large group of people at a politician’s residence on election day a matter of security interest.
With voting already underway across Osun, the arrest has added another dramatic development to an election that has witnessed heavy security deployment and reports of isolated incidents at polling locations.
The police have continued to urge voters and political actors to conduct themselves peacefully and avoid actions capable of undermining the credibility of the electoral process.
For now, the investigation into Inaolaji and the 146 people arrested with him remains ongoing, with the police expected to provide further details as the case progresses.
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