By The Inspector-General of Police has ordered the immediate posting of the Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gotan, out of Osun State to the Force Headquarters in Abuja, on special duty, according to an internal police wireless message dated July 30, 2026.
The signal, issued by the Nigeria Police Force Secretary in Abuja and marked “Most/Immediate,” was addressed to a wide distribution of police departments and formations nationwide, including the Force Intelligence Department, the Department of Operations, all Assistant Inspectors-General across the country’s 17 zones, state Commissioners of Police, and several other police units and directorates. A copy was marked for information to the office of the Inspector-General of Police Secretariat in Abuja.
The message, referenced TH.5361/FS/FHQ/ABJ/SUB.7/167 and titled “Posting Senior Officer,” stated that the Inspector-General had ordered Gotan’s posting to CP Comm Ops FHQ Abuja on special duty, with immediate effect, and instructed that the directive be treated as very important.
The redeployment comes the same day after the release of the Secretary to the Osun State Government, Teslim Igbalaiye, who was arrested alongside five others following a police raid on his residence in Osogbo. Gotan’s leadership of the Osun command had drawn public criticism in the days before his posting, including allegations from the Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Adewale Egbedun, that Gotan had personally ordered the SSG’s arrest following an incident at an INEC stakeholders’ meeting, and from the state government and the Adeleke campaign, both of which had accused the state police command of political bias ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
The signal does not indicate who has been named to replace Gotan as Commissioner of Police in Osun State.
