The Office of the Secretary to the Osun State Government (SSG) has rejected allegations made by Mr. Taoreed Faronbi that the Secretary to the State Government, Bobagunwa Teslim Igbalaye, coerced him into making confessional statements, describing the claims as false, misleading and a complete distortion of what transpired.
In a statement issued on Sunday by the Special Assistant on Media and Digital Communication to the SSG, Kehinde Adeoye, the office said the allegations were "baseless" and could not withstand the facts surrounding the meeting.
According to the statement, Faronbi was brought to the SSG's residence by leaders of the Accord Party in Ward 8 after informing them that he had been attacked.
The office stated that upon his arrival, Faronbi had visible injuries and was bleeding, prompting Igbalaye to immediately prioritise his medical welfare by offering to facilitate urgent treatment through appropriate medical personnel.
However, the statement said Faronbi declined the offer, insisting that the individual who allegedly removed bullets from his body had instructed him not to receive any medical treatment or injections for three or four days.
The SSG's office said that after listening to Faronbi's account, Igbalaye advised that the allegations be reported to the Nigeria Police Force, particularly the Area Command, to enable a proper investigation in line with the law.
It maintained that this was the only advice given throughout the meeting.
"The atmosphere throughout the interaction was one of concern, empathy and support. At no point was Mr. Faronbi threatened, intimidated, pressured or coerced into making any confession or statement," the statement said.
The office described as "shocking" Faronbi's subsequent claim that the SSG compelled him to make confessional statements, insisting that no such incident occurred.
It further disclosed that Faronbi remained a recognised member of the Accord Party in Ward 8, Osogbo Local Government Area, noting that neither the ward leadership nor the party had received any formal letter of resignation from him.
The statement also defended the character of Bobagunwa Teslim Igbalaye, describing him as a public servant whose career has been built on integrity, responsibility and respect for the rule of law.
According to the office, Igbalaye's only interest was to ensure that an injured citizen received medical attention and that his allegations were reported to the appropriate security agencies for investigation.
The SSG's office therefore urged the public to disregard what it described as false allegations, insisting that attempts to portray lawful and humanitarian actions as coercion amount to a deliberate misrepresentation of the facts.
