KEY POINTS

• APC candidate Komolafe reportedly freed.
• Naval commander allegedly redeployed.
• Incident occurred ahead of Osun election.

A Nigerian Navy commander who reportedly ordered the arrest of the All Progressives Congress House of Assembly candidate for Atakumosa East/West Local Government Area of Osun State, Babatunde Komolafe Festus, has allegedly been redeployed, while the politician has been released.

The development followed the candidate’s reported arrest over alleged possession of a firearm, an incident that generated public attention just days before the Osun State governorship election.

According to sources cited by SaharaReporters, the naval commander involved in the arrest was redeployed shortly after the incident became widely known.

The sources claimed the redeployment followed intervention by senior authorities, describing the commander as having been made a scapegoat after the arrest triggered public outrage.

However, the Nigerian Navy had not issued an official statement confirming the reported redeployment or explaining the circumstances surrounding it.

Komolafe, who was reportedly arrested alongside other supporters, has also been released.

Sources claimed his release followed instructions from senior authorities, although no official explanation was immediately provided regarding why the politician was freed or whether any charges would be pursued.

The circumstances surrounding both the release and the reported redeployment remain unclear pending an official response from the Navy or other relevant authorities.

Arrest followed alleged discovery of firearm

Komolafe was reportedly apprehended by Nigerian Navy personnel in his hometown of Ifewara, Osun State.

According to sources, Navy personnel conducted a routine search involving an APC campaign vehicle in which Komolafe and other supporters were travelling.

A firearm was allegedly discovered during the search, leading to the arrest of the occupants.

SaharaReporters had earlier reported that Navy personnel were seen parading the apprehended individuals following the incident.

The incident occurred about 48 hours before the Osun State governorship election scheduled for Saturday, August 15, 2026.

The arrest comes amid heightened political tensions in the state and concerns over alleged threats and inflammatory statements from political actors ahead of the election.

The reported release of the APC candidate and redeployment of the naval commander could therefore add to scrutiny of security operations and political activities surrounding the election.

As of the time of the report, the Nigerian Navy had not publicly confirmed the reported redeployment of the commander or provided details about Komolafe’s release.

The allegations remain based on accounts from unnamed sources, meaning the circumstances surrounding the incident could not be independently established from an official statement.