Police Confirm Arrest of Osun Lawmaker as 146-Suspect Claim Triggers X Reactions

The Osun governorship election has been hit by another controversy after police arrested a serving member of the Osun State House of Assembly following the discovery of a large group of people at a private residence in Ikire.

The lawmaker, Abiola Ibrahim Inaolaji, represents the Irewole/Isokan State Constituency in the state assembly and is a member of the Accord Party.

The Osun State Police Command confirmed his arrest on Saturday, saying the operation was carried out by the Force Intelligence Department-Intelligence Response Team (FID-IRT) as part of heightened security operations during the election.

Several news reports have described the group found at the residence as 146 suspected electoral mercenaries or political thugs. However, the exact number requires caution: FactCheckAfrica reported that police confirmed Ibrahim's arrest and the arrest of other people but said the police spokesperson could not independently ascertain the specific figure of 146.

What happened at the residence?

The incident came to public attention after a video showing Ibrahim being questioned by armed police officers began circulating on social media.

In the footage, the lawmaker identified himself and was questioned about the presence of a large number of people at the property, which he identified as belonging to his late father.

According to PUNCH's account of the video, the people gathered at the residence were described as numbering about 146. Ibrahim told the officers that they were voters who had gathered to participate in the election.

When asked whether the people were registered voters from the Ikire community, Ibrahim acknowledged that the group included both locals and people from outside the area.

He also denied hiring the people or acting as an agent for a particular candidate, saying that voting was their choice. He confirmed that he was a member of the Accord Party.

Security officers were also seen holding Permanent Voter Cards during the interrogation.

What police have confirmed

The police have confirmed that Ibrahim was arrested in connection with the incident.

Osun Police spokesperson DSP Abiosun Ojelabi said the arrest was part of intensified security operations intended to prevent activities capable of undermining the credibility of the election.

In a separate account reported by TheCable, Ojelabi said police had earlier received a complaint that armed men had besieged the residence of the Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly. Police investigated the complaint but could not confirm that allegation.

The police spokesperson said officers subsequently arrested a group of people at the residence of a political stakeholder and were profiling them.

This distinction matters because the circumstances surrounding the group remain under investigation.

Why the number 146 is being questioned

The figure of 146 has rapidly become one of the most repeated details about the incident online.

Premium Times and THISDAY reported that police confirmed the arrest of Ibrahim alongside 146 suspected political thugs. THISDAY said the police spokesperson confirmed the arrest, while a video cited by a NAN correspondent showed a man identified as Ibrahim allegedly saying he facilitated the movement of 146 people into Osun from neighbouring states to vote.

However, FactCheckAfrica contacted the Osun Police Command specifically to verify the figure and reported that the spokesperson could not ascertain whether exactly 146 people were involved.

The fact-checking organisation therefore rated the wider claim “partly verified”, confirming the lawmaker's arrest and the arrest of other individuals but not independently establishing the exact number or the allegation that all of them had been brought into Osun specifically to vote for Accord.

Talk Ya True therefore treats 146 as the figure reported by several outlets, not as an independently established final number.

What people are saying on X

The video has generated strong reactions on X, particularly among users following the Osun election.

Some users have interpreted the incident as evidence of an attempt to manipulate the electoral process through what they describe as imported voters. Several posts repeated claims that 146 suspected “imported thugs” had been arrested at Ibrahim's residence.

One widely circulated X post described the people as “suspected imported thugs”, while another said the arrests involved people who were allegedly not residents of Osun.

Other users have focused less on the accusation itself and more on the video, questioning why such a large number of people were gathered at a politician's residence on election day.

The conversation has also become politically charged, with some posts using the incident to accuse political parties of attempting to manipulate votes, while others have urged people not to treat social-media allegations as established facts before the police investigation is completed. The online debate is therefore reflecting both anger over alleged electoral malpractice and caution about unverified claims.

The lawmaker's explanation

Ibrahim's account differs from the language used by some reports and social-media users.

He told the police that the people were voters who had come to participate in the election. He also said some were from outside the local community but denied hiring them or promising them anything.

That explanation is now part of the controversy surrounding the arrest and will have to be considered alongside the police investigation.

Electoral integrity under scrutiny

The incident comes as security agencies maintain a heightened presence across Osun during the governorship election.

The police had warned political actors against activities capable of undermining the electoral process, while the election itself has seen reports of arrests, alleged vote buying, logistical problems and other concerns from different parts of the state.

For now, what is established is that Abiola Ibrahim was arrested and that other people were taken into custody in connection with the incident.

The exact number of people involved, where they came from, their voting status and whether any electoral offence was committed remain matters for the ongoing investigation.

What happens next?

The arrested individuals are expected to assist investigators in determining the circumstances surrounding their presence at the residence and their intended participation in the election.

Until that investigation produces further findings, claims that the entire group were “imported voters” or political thugs should be treated as allegations rather than established facts.

The incident nevertheless adds another layer to the scrutiny surrounding the Osun governorship election, with voters and observers watching closely for signs of electoral malpractice and the response of security agencies.