Arrest in Delta: Osun commissioner makes U-turn, admits encounter with police

OSUN State Commissioner for Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, Dr Wale Bolorunduro, has finally admitted actually being in Warri, Delta State, where he was arrested by the police, Friday, last week. Bolorunduro had earlier denied being in Warri that day. But on Friday, he made a U-turn, admitting that he was in Warri on Friday, 27 June, 2014, for the burial of his colleague’s father-in-law. In a statement by his personal assistant, Mr Seun Ogunsanya, copy of which was made available to journalists in Osogbo, Bolorunduro gave what he described as an account of his encounter with the police in the oil-rich city that day. The statement denied media reports of allegations by the opposition that he was in Warri to recruit thugs for the August 9, 2014 governorship election in Osun State. “We had initially resolved to ignore these media reports which we considered to be baseless, untrue and having political undertone but because of the personality involved, we have decided to put the record straight for the purpose of Nigerians, whose minds may have been polluted by these reports. “This is not an avenue to confirm or deny the reports, but we wish to state that the personality involved, Wale Bolorunduro, is a complete gentleman, professional banker,; man of high reputation and high intellectual acumen who was invited to join the team of administration headed by Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, Governor, State of Osun, in transforming the state. “To put the record straight, Bolorunduro was not either arrested or detained for any criminal act by the police in Delta as reported in the media. He actually was in Igbide, Isoko, on Friday, for the burial of the father-in-law of his mate, Honourable Commissioner for Special Duties and Regional Integration in the state. He was there along with some of his mates. “He later returned to Ughelli same day and joined his colleagues at Epine Hotel for a meeting. He arrived at the hotel with some police escorts and left around 10.00 p.m. He noticed some strange movements outside the hotel. “At this point, the police escorts that came along with him were having some challenges with those strange movements when Bolorunduro decided to ease himself out of the hotel for Warri. He also observed another mobile police van parked at the entrance of the hotel who neither stopped his vehicle nor that of the police escort. “A few metres to Warri, some policemen accosted the escort’s pick-up vehicle, demanding to know their mission and Bolorunduro and his people were asked to go after identifying themselves to the policemen,” the statement read in part.