A member of the House of Representatives, Bamidele Salam, has criticised the Nigeria Police over the handling of an incident involving a local government worker in Egbedore local government council area.
In a statement on Monday, Bamidele Salam, who represents Ede North, Ede South, Egbedore and Ejigbo Federal Constituency in the condemned the alleged harassment, detention and public humiliation of one Taiwo Adebayo, an administrative staff member of the council.
Salam described the police involvement as unconstitutional.
DAILY POST gathered that Adebayo was allegedly caught sneaking out with files containing documents from the local government secretariat.
It was also gathered that he was apprehended at the gate of the secretariat while trying to escape with the files, and has been handed over to the police for further.
The lawmaker, however, said his “findings showed that Adebayo was on lawful duty following a directive by the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, to resume work after an eleven month strike.”
He alleged that “the staff member was detained in the presence of police officers while processing retirement files for local government workers.”
Salam accused a former council chairman, Issa Akinwale, who he said had been sacked by court judgements, of supervising the incident with police backing.
He called on the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to withdraw officers from illegal duties at council secretariats and to ensure adherence to court rulings.
The lawmaker warned that continued police involvement in partisan political activities at the local government level posed risks to democracy, judicial authority and citizens’ rights in Osun State.
Also, a staff of Boluwaduro local government council area, Felicia Olaojo, was allegedly arrested by security operatives at the council on Monday while in possession of government properties.
A statement by the media assistant to the Executive Chairman, Boluwaduro local government, Sahedd Omokanye, stated that Olaojo was arrested following reports that she was allegedly attempting to smuggle government items and official documents out of the secretariat through the perimeter fence.
The statement said: “security personnel, acting on suspicion, intercepted her and recovered the items in her possession.
“She has since been taken to a police station for further interrogation and investigation.”
DAILY POST had earlier reported that the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, in Osun State has threatened to embark on industrial action over alleged harassment of its members by the police at local government secretariats.
Speaking at the 2026 annual prayer event organised by the state government at the Government Secretariat in Abere, the Chairman of the state NLC, Christopher Arapasopo described the alleged actions as unacceptable.
He said, “The development is unacceptable for the police to be involved in such disgraceful acts. Our members have done nothing wrong and this harassment should stop without delay.”
Arapasopo also alleged that labour members were humiliated, adding, “We have seen videos and pictures of our members being forced to kneel down. We condemn this conduct and call on the police to release them.”
He accused the All Progressives Congress, APC, of attempting to destabilise the state.
“The APC is pushing to plunge Osun into crisis. We will resist legally and lawfully and we will not tolerate ongoing harassment of our people at the local government level,” he said.
Reacting, the Osun State Police Command neither confirmed nor denied the alleged arrests.
The Command said it had yet to receive reports on the matter.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Ojelabi, said, “Regarding the arrest of staff, I don’t have any report yet on that, but anyone coming to the council to cause trouble, be it politician or otherwise, will not be tolerated.”
DAILY POST had earlier reported that the Osun All Progressives Congress, APC, Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi, on behalf of the party chairman, Tajudeen Lawal, on Monday expressed concern over the alleged misuse of court processes to paralyse local government administration in the state.
Recall that the National Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, in Osun State had announced last week that it would resume work on Monday, January 5, 2026.
The resumption to work is coming after eleven months of strike embarked on by the union starting from February 17, 2025 after deadly violence broke out between supporters of the Osun APC and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, over control of the local government secretariats.
In the aftermath of the violence, many party supporters on the opposing side lost their lives among whom is Remi Abass, and APC stalwart in Ikire, Irewole local government council area of the state.
