Police have arrested a member of the Osun State House of Assembly, Abiola Ibrahim Inaolaji, alongside about 146 persons found at a private residence in Ikire, Irewole Local Government Area, during Saturday’s governorship election.

Ibrahim, who represents the Irewole/Isokan State Constituency and belongs to the Accord Party, was intercepted by security operatives in the early hours of Saturday after a large number of people were found at a residence he identified as belonging to his late father, Raji Ibrahim.

In a video of the incident, the lawmaker told the security personnel that the people gathered at the residence were voters who had come to participate in the election.

However, when asked whether they were registered voters from Ikire, Ibrahim acknowledged that the group comprised both locals and people from outside the area.

“Some of them are, some of them are indigenes from outside. I did not hire them. I did not promise anything,” he said.

He added that the decision of the individuals to vote was theirs and that he was not their agent.

The security operatives were also seen in possession of several Permanent Voter Cards during the interrogation.

The Osun State Police Command later confirmed Ibrahim’s arrest, saying he was taken into custody along with about 146 persons on suspicion of harbouring electoral mercenaries.

Police spokesperson, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, said the lawmaker was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation-Intelligence Response Team in the early hours of Saturday and remained in custody as investigations continued.

The arrest came amid heightened security operations across Osun ahead of and during the governorship election, with the police warning political actors against voter intimidation, thuggery, illegal mobilisation and other activities capable of undermining the credibility of the electoral process.