Osun State Police Command on Wednesday grilled the senator representing the Osun East Senatorial District, Francis Fadahunsi, for about two hours for allegedly inciting violence.
The police invitation followed a demand by Governor Ademola Adeleke for Fadahunsi’s arrest after a viral video captured the lawmaker allegedly remarking, “Kill any Accord member,” during a protest at the palace of the Owa Obokun of Ilesaland.
The protest had been triggered by the reported killing of 12 All Progressives Congress (APC) members within 24 hours in Ilesa, an incident that significantly heightened political tension across the state.
Fadahunsi, however, strongly denied making the threat. He maintained that his actual statement was a call for APC supporters to “kill Accord Party in Osun with their votes,” while further alleging that over 40 APC members had been killed in his senatorial district over the past year.
Following the circulation of the video, the police issued an invitation on Tuesday. Fadahunsi arrived at the Osun police headquarters on Wednesday, at approximately 2:25 PM, accompanied by an aide.
Initially heading toward the Commissioner of Police’s office, he was redirected to the Department of Criminal Investigation (CID).
There, he was led into an interrogation room by the Commissioner of Police in charge of election duty, Samuel Erale Etifo, alongside other senior officers.
Journalists were barred from the room, where the senator spent nearly two hours before being briefly moved to the Commissioner’s office for 20 minutes before returning to the CID.
During his debriefing, Fadahunsi was joined by a former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Adebayo Adeleke, and legal practitioner Edmund Biriomoni.
He was subsequently released by the police.
Addressing journalists upon his release, Senator Fadahunsi stated that he honoured the invitation to clear the air regarding the manipulated video.
“I came here to honour the police invitation. We have met, and I told them what I actually said, not what was manipulated by mischievous interpreters of the Yoruba language.
“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 said.
The two-term lawmaker also raised concerns over the security climate in Osun East, alleging that Governor Adeleke was turning the district into a battleground while leaving his own hometown 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 added.
He expressed confidence that supporters would vote massively for the party’s governorship candidate, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji (AMBO), despite alleged intimidation by political thugs.
Senator Fadahunsi finally departed the police command premises at about 4:58 PM.
