The dramatic attempt to arrest controversial Isese advocate, Abdulazeez Adegbola, popularly known as Tani Olohun, in Ibadan was not a random police operation, the Oyo State Police Command has said.
The command disclosed that officers from the Kwara State Police Command had travelled to Ibadan to execute an arrest warrant issued by the Upper Ilorin Magistrates’ Court, Ilorin, against the traditionalist.
The revelation came after Tuesday’s tense confrontation at Tani Olohun’s residence in Ayegun Oleyo, Ibadan, where residents resisted the officers and Yoruba Nation activist, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, intervened. Videos from the scene showed an apparent struggle between the officers and Tani Olohun before the situation was brought under control.
According to the Oyo police, the warrant was connected to allegations of conduct likely to cause a breach of public peace and was issued after Tani Olohun allegedly failed to comply with conditions attached to an earlier bail granted by the court.
The development also revived memories of Tani Olohun’s earlier arrest in Ibadan by Kwara police and his subsequent transfer to Ilorin in 2023 over allegations that included disturbing public peace and other offences.
But what turned a routine execution of an arrest warrant into a neighbourhood drama was the location of the operation.
Residents reportedly became suspicious when men believed to be police officers arrived at Tani Olohun’s residence and attempted to take him away. Footage circulating online showed one of the officers displaying his identity card as people at the scene questioned the operation.
The confrontation escalated until Igboho arrived at the scene. Reports said he challenged the attempt to take Tani Olohun away, while residents gathered around the officers.
The intervention ultimately forced a rethink by the Oyo State Police Command.
Explaining the development, the Oyo State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, said the officers had been acting on a court warrant but were subsequently directed to return to Kwara.
The police said:
“The Command wishes to clarify that the officers were acting pursuant to a warrant of arrest issued by the Upper Ilorin Magistrates’ Court, Ilorin, in connection with allegations bordering on conduct likely to cause a breach of public peace. The warrant was reportedly issued following the failure of the said Tani Olohun to honour the conditions of bail earlier granted to him, thereby prompting the court to order his arrest.”
The command, however, pointed to territorial jurisdiction as the reason the matter should now be pursued through the appropriate court in Ibadan.
“Upon receipt of the report, the Commissioner of Police, Oyo State Command, directed the officers to return back to their base and advise the complainant to approach the appropriate court in Ibadan, being the alleged place where the offence was committed, in accordance with due process and the principles of territorial jurisdiction.”
The police urged residents to remain calm and avoid actions capable of inflaming the situation.
“The Oyo State Police Command therefore urges members of the public to remain calm and law-abiding and to refrain from actions capable of disturbing the peace or escalating the situation.”
The command added:
“The Command remains committed to upholding the rule of law, protecting lives and property, and ensuring that all complaints are handled professionally and in accordance with extant laws.”
The latest episode has therefore thrown up an unusual legal question: if the alleged offence occurred in Ibadan, should an Ilorin court’s warrant be executed against the suspect in Ibadan by officers from another state?
For now, the Oyo police have made their position clear — the Kwara officers should return to base, while the complainant should approach the appropriate court in Ibadan.
The incident is particularly sensitive because Tani Olohun is a prominent advocate of Ìṣẹ̀ṣe, the indigenous Yoruba religious and cultural tradition, while Igboho remains a highly influential Yoruba activist. The intervention has consequently attracted considerable attention online and raised fears of a wider confrontation if the dispute is not handled carefully.
