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The Secretary to the Osun State Government, Teslim Igbalaiye, has finally regained freedom after being released by the Osun State Police Command.

Igbalaiye’s release was announced by the spokesperson for the Imole Campaign Council, the campaign organisation for Governor Ademola Adeleke’s re-election bid, Pelumi Olajengbesi.

Olajengbesi disclosed the development in a post on his verified Facebook page on Thursday.

He expressed appreciation to the Inspector General of Police and the Commissioner of Police, Osun State Command, for responding to public calls and facilitating the release of the SSG following what he described as an unlawful arrest.

Olajengbesi stated that the Nigeria Police Force serves the nation best when it upholds justice, the rule of law and resists oppression.

He also welcomed Igbalaiye back, describing his release as a victory, and commended what he called the SSG’s courage and sacrifice for the people of Osun State.

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A High Court in Kano State has sentenced a newlywed woman, Saudat Jibril, to death by hanging after finding her guilty of killing her husband, Salisu Idris, just nine days after their wedding.

The verdict followed the conclusion of the trial, during which the court heard evidence presented by both the prosecution and the defence.

The incident occurred in May 2025 in Farawa, a community in Kumbotso Local Government Area of Kano State, where the couple had been married for only nine days before the husband was killed.

The prosecution, led by Barrister Lamido Abba Soron Dinki, counsel to the Kano State Government, called three witnesses in support of its case.

The defence counsel, Barrister Abdulfatah Muhammad, presented Saudat Jibril as the sole witness in her defence.

Delivering the judgment, Justice Maryam Sabo held that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and accepted the evidence presented by the prosecution while rejecting the defendant’s testimony.

“The court finds the defendant guilty as charged and hereby sentences her to death by hanging,” Justice Sabo ruled.

Following the judgment, correctional service officials escorted Saudat Jibril from the courtroom to begin serving her sentence, pending any appeal.

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Governor Ademola Adeleke’s campaign team, the Imole Campaign Council, TICC, has accused the Osun State Police Command of plotting to influence the August 15, 2026 governorship election.

The council also alleged that the recent arrest of the Secretary to the State Government, Teslim Igbalaye, was politically motivated.

In a statement issued on Thursday by its spokesperson, Pelumi Olajengbesi, the campaign council described the operation as a reckless abuse of authority and claimed it reflected what it called the police command’s partisanship ahead of the election.

“The Osun Police Command, led by Commissioner of Police Ibrahim Gotan, had departed from its constitutional responsibility of maintaining law and order and had instead become involved in political activities.

“The arrest of Igbalaye and others was part of an attempt to remove key Accord leaders and mobilisers from the political scene before the governorship poll.

” We reject allegations linking the arrested individuals to criminal activities.

“The unlawful raid on the home and arrest of the SSG, Hon. Igbalaye, has proven our concerns right. Attempts by the police to portray the arrested officials as criminals is nothing but a comical relief hurriedly put up to whitewash a terrible policing job,” the campaign team said.

TICC argued that any police watch list remained an internal security document unless an individual had been officially declared wanted.

It described references to such a list in relation to Igbalaye as “irresponsible and a brazen act of blackmail”.

The campaign council also challenged the police’s interpretation of electoral laws, insisting that the Electoral Act 2026 did not support allegations of vote buying more than two weeks before an election.

It maintained that the section of the law cited by the police applied specifically to election day.

On the issue of the reported ₦4.8 million recovered during the operation, the council argued that there was no legal prohibition against possessing such an amount.

It claimed that the sum was below the threshold specified under the Money Laundering Act for individuals.

According to TICC, the funds were intended to cover logistics, including transportation costs for Accord mobilisers attending a political meeting. Possession of the voters’ register did not constitute an electoral offence because the register is publicly available to all participating political parties.”

The statement alleged that suspected APC supporters had recently invaded collation centres in Okuku, Odo-Otin Local Government Area, and Akarabata in Ile-Ife, carting away Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs.

It claimed that the incidents were acknowledged during a stakeholders’ meeting in Osogbo but alleged that the police had failed to act against those responsible.

“We urge the Osun Police Command to note that it is not a political party nor an arm of the APC, but a public institution funded by taxpayers’ money. Accord members are being subjected to harassment and intimidation without legal justification,” it stated.

The campaign council called on the police authorities to release Igbalaye and the other detained individuals immediately.

“Democracy should be about the contest of ideas, not the rule of force, and the Police should know that its job is strictly law enforcement, not forcing leadership choice on the people.”