The Nigeria Police Force has said it could not confirm the allegation by the Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Adewale Egbedun, that armed men laid siege to his residence in the early hours of Saturday as voters prepared to participate in the state governorship election.

The allegation had raised concerns over the security situation in the state on election morning, with reports that the Speaker raised the alarm at about 6:00am, claiming that armed men had surrounded his residence. Blueprint reports

However, the Force Headquarters spokesperson, Anietie Iniedu, said the police responded to the complaint but could not establish that a siege had occurred at the Speaker’s residence.

Iniedu said the police immediately mobilised officers to the location after receiving the report and directed the Divisional Police Officer in charge of the area to proceed to the residence.

According to him, the officers were unable to confirm the allegation.

Police respond to Speaker’s alarm

Explaining the police response, Iniedu said the Force took the allegation seriously enough to dispatch officers to the location.

He said, “We’ve gotten that complaint and mobilised the police complaint unit, and the DPO of that division was directed to proceed to that location, and we could not confirm that allegation at the residence of the speaker. So far, we cannot confirm that.”

The police position effectively leaves the allegation unresolved, as the Force has not established that armed men actually laid siege to Egbedun’s home.
The development is significant because the Speaker is a prominent political figure in the state and the alleged incident occurred just hours after polling opened across Osun.

300 arrested at politician’s residence

While dismissing the Speaker’s siege allegation, the police spokesperson disclosed a separate major security operation at the residence of an unidentified political stakeholder in the state.

Iniedu said police operatives arrested 300 people at the politician’s residence after discovering what he described as “300 unaccounted-for persons.”

“However, we’ve also made arrests at a political stakeholder’s residence, where we located 300 unaccounted-for persons,” the police spokesperson said.

The Force has not publicly identified the politician whose residence was raided or disclosed the identities of those arrested.

It also remains unclear why the 300 people were gathered at the residence, what they were allegedly preparing to do, and whether they were connected to any political party or electoral activity.

The police are expected to provide further details as investigations and profiling of those arrested progress.

Separate operation raises questions

The disclosure of the 300 arrests introduces another significant dimension to the security situation surrounding the Osun election.

While the police have not linked the arrests to the Speaker’s allegation, the two developments occurred on the same election morning and have heightened public interest in the activities of security agencies across the state.

Another report by the News Agency of Nigeria said the Osun State Police Command arrested a serving member of the state House of Assembly, Abiola Ibrahim Inaolaji, alongside suspected electoral mercenaries at his residence in Ikire. The report said more than 200 Permanent Voter Cards were reportedly recovered during the operation.

The relationship, if any, between that operation and the 300 arrests mentioned by the Force Headquarters spokesperson was not immediately established.

Consequently, the two incidents should not be presented as the same operation without further confirmation from the police.

Police say Osun remains peaceful

Despite the early morning security concerns, the Force maintained that the overall security situation in Osun remained calm.

Iniedu urged residents not to be discouraged by reports of incidents and encouraged eligible voters to come out and exercise their franchise.

“So far, Osun is peaceful, and we encourage residents to come out en masse to exercise their franchise,” he said.

The assurance comes as voters across the state’s 30 local government areas participate in the governorship election.

Security agencies have deployed personnel to polling units, collation centres, INEC facilities and other strategic locations to prevent violence and electoral malpractice.

Election security under intense scrutiny

The developments are likely to place the conduct of security agencies under further scrutiny throughout the election.

Political parties and their supporters have already raised concerns over alleged intimidation, arrests and the presence of security operatives in politically sensitive locations.

The police, however, have repeatedly insisted that their deployment is aimed at protecting voters and ensuring that the election is conducted peacefully.

On Friday, the Osun State Commissioner of Police on Election, Samuel Erale Etaifo, warned politicians and other electoral actors against attempts to manipulate the poll, saying anyone found violating electoral laws would be arrested and prosecuted.

The police have also urged residents to report suspicious movements and activities during the election.

Speaker’s allegation remains unconfirmed

For now, the police have not confirmed that Egbedun’s residence came under attack.

The Force’s position does not necessarily establish that nothing happened at the Speaker’s residence; rather, it indicates that officers dispatched to investigate the allegation could not independently confirm the reported siege.

That distinction is important as competing claims emerge during the election.

The police are expected to investigate any evidence or additional complaints that may emerge concerning the incident.

Attention shifts to conduct of voting

Meanwhile, voting has continued across Osun, with early reports indicating varying levels of turnout and security presence in several locations.

The Independent National Electoral Commission has continued with the voting process, while party agents and election observers monitor proceedings at polling units.

The arrest of hundreds of people at a politician’s residence, coupled with the unconfirmed allegation of a siege at the Speaker’s home, means that security incidents are likely to remain a major focus as the election progresses.

For now, however, the police maintain that Osun remains peaceful, while urging residents to ignore fear and participate in the electoral process.

The identities of the political stakeholder whose residence was searched and the 300 people arrested, as well as the circumstances surrounding their presence at the location, remain key details awaiting clarification from the authorities.