Osun Election: Police Arrest 143 Suspected Electoral Mercenaries, Recover Over 200 PVCs in Ikire

The Osun State Police Command has arrested 143 persons suspected of being electoral mercenaries in Ikire, Irewole Local Government Area, amid heightened security operations during the state’s governorship election.

A serving member of the Osun State House of Assembly, Abiola Ibrahim Inaolaji, who represents the Irewole/Isokan State Constituency, was also arrested during the operation.

According to the police, the suspects were found at the lawmaker’s residence in Ikire in the early hours of Saturday following intelligence received by the Force Intelligence Department Intelligence Response Team (FID-IRT).

More than 200 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) were reportedly recovered during the operation. Police said preliminary investigations indicated that some of the suspects had allegedly been brought into Osun from neighbouring Ondo State to participate in unlawful electoral activities.

Osun Police spokesperson, Abiodun Ojelabi, confirmed the arrests, saying investigations were ongoing to determine the identities of the suspects and establish the circumstances surrounding the recovered PVCs.

A video circulating from the operation showed Inaolaji responding to questions from security operatives. Reports said he acknowledged that people from outside Osun were among those staying at the residence and that they had been brought in to vote for the Accord Party. However, the circumstances surrounding the alleged recruitment and the ownership of the recovered PVCs remain subject to investigation.

Police said the operation forms part of intensified efforts to prevent activities capable of undermining the credibility of the governorship election, including voter inducement, vote buying, voter importation and other forms of electoral malpractice.

The arrests came as voting was underway across Osun State, with security agencies deployed to polling units and other strategic locations to maintain order and protect the electoral process.

Authorities have said further investigations will determine whether other individuals were involved in the alleged mobilisation of the suspects and the possession or use of the recovered PVCs.

No court has convicted the arrested persons, and the allegations remain subject to investigation and any subsequent judicial proceedings.

The development has added to concerns over the conduct of the closely watched Osun governorship election, as political parties and security agencies continue to monitor the process across the state.