Fadahunsi Released After Two Hours Grilling By Police In Osogbo Over Alleged Inciting Remarks

The Senator representing Osun East Senatorial District, Francis Fadahunsi, was grilled for more than two hours by the Osun State Police Command on Wednesday over an alleged inciting statement ahead of Saturday’s governorship election.

Fadahunsi was invited by the police following a viral video in which he was allegedly heard calling on supporters to “kill any Accord member” during a protest at the palace of the Owa Obokun of Ijesaland in Ilesa.

The protest reportedly followed the alleged killing of 12 All Progressives Congress (APC) members within 24 hours in Ilesa, further heightening political tension ahead of the August 15 election.

However, Fadahunsi denied making the statement attributed to him, insisting that his words had been misunderstood or deliberately mistranslated from Yoruba.

According to him, what he said was that APC supporters should “kill Accord Party in Osun with their votes”.

Fadahunsi arrived at the Osun State Police Command at about 2:25pm on Wednesday, accompanied by an aide.

He initially proceeded towards the office of the Commissioner of Police but was redirected to the Department of Criminal Investigation (CID), where he was taken into an investigation room by the Commissioner of Police in charge of election duty, Samuel Erale Etifo, alongside other senior officers.

Journalists were barred from the investigation room.

The senator spent about one hour and 57 minutes there before being taken to the Commissioner of Police’s office, where he spent another 20 minutes.

He was subsequently returned to the CID, where he was later joined by Adebayo Adeleke, a former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, and legal practitioner Edmund Biriomoni.

Fadahunsi was eventually released at about 4:58pm.

Speaking to journalists after his release, the senator said he had honoured the police invitation and explained what he actually said.

“I came here to honour the police invitation. We have met, and I told them what I said, not the one manipulated by the mischievous interpreters of the Yoruba language.”

He added: “I am a Yoruba man. If a Hausa or Igbo person is interpreting, it may not be correct. Yoruba means a lot of things. What I said was that between now and Saturday, we will kill them with our votes.”

Fadahunsi also expressed concern over the security situation in Osun East, alleging that the senatorial district was being turned into a battleground while the governor’s hometown remained peaceful.

“It is worrisome, but we have left the whole thing to the owner of life. Come Saturday, you will see a marvellous turnout for APC,” he said.

The senator expressed confidence that APC supporters would turn out in large numbers to vote for the party’s governorship candidate, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji (AMBO), despite what he described as intimidation by political thugs.

The police have not announced any further action against the senator following his questioning.

The incident has nevertheless intensified concerns over inflammatory rhetoric and political violence as parties and security agencies prepare for Saturday’s governorship election.