No fewer than four persons have been reportedly killed in Osun State while many suffered varying degrees of gunshot injuries during the fracas that erupted when some hoodlums working for the Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress attempted to take over the state council secretariats.
The Point had reported that some sacked chairmen and councilors under the APC platform in the state had early Monday stormed several council offices in the state in a bid to take over administrative control of activities in the local government areas.
This development had caused tension as gunshots rented the air when loyalists of ruling PDP and their hoodlums arrived the council offices, engaged the opposition party.
At the gate of Osogbo Central Local Government Area, Oke Baale, Osogbo, PDP and APC members clashed while attempting to enter the council secretariat.
There, a man was attacked and he was rushed to a close private hospital by an ambulance in pool of blood.
The injured man was said to have engaged in a fight with another suspected hoodlum, believed to be working for one of the parties.
Armed police operatives were seen at the entrance to the secretariat, while the hoodlums responsible for the gunfire shot sporadically, causing panic in the neighbourhood.
It was gathered that that the same situation happened at the Atakumosa West Local Government Secretariat after a former member of the Osun State House of Assembly, Festus Komolafe, led elected APC members into the premises.
In Egbedore Local Government Secretariat, Awo, PDP members wielding canes were seen singing at the entrance, daring APC members to approach them.
In Ayedaade LGA, APC members reportedly arrived at the secretariat in Gbongan early in the morning.
Meanwhile, the struggle allegedly turned fatal after officials elected on the platform of the APC in the 15 October 2022 local government elections in the state resumed at the Boripe Local Government Secretariat in Iragbiji.
Addressing journalists, Soji Ajeigbe, Commissioner for Protocol and Government Affairs in the state, claimed that Adebayo Adeleke, a former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs under the former administration of Gboyega Oyetola, led some notorious thugs to the Boripe council.
Ajeigbe alleged that the Oyetola’s ally led APC thugs who opened fire at the secretariat in presence of the police, shot dead two members of PDP while four others sustained gunshot injuries.
Although he could not produce the corpses for journalists to see, he added that security operatives have taken their remains to morgue while the injured have been hospitalised for treatment. However, one of the injured PDP members showed journalists some bodily injuries at the secretariat which has been taken over by the PDP supporters.
An attempt by APC members to take over the Olorunda Local Government Secretariat in Igbona, Osogbo, was resisted, leading to heightened tension in the area.
Armed police operatives were stationed at the junction leading to the council as some APC members who had gathered at the secretariat’s entrance were dispersed.
Security operatives therefore shut the gate of the secretariat and no one was allowed in.
At Olaoluwa Local Government Area, Bode-Osi, one person was reportedly shot dead by hoodlums.
Similarly, a candidate of the APC for Irewole Local Government Area of the state, Remi Abbas, was killed at the entrance of the secretariat by some political thugs.
Abbas was reportedly gunned down amid tension over the alleged forceful takeover of the council, following the direction of the party leadership to implement a recent judgement of the Court of Appeal, Akure.
A chieftain of the APC, Jamiu Olawumi, while addressing journalists in Osogbo, claimed that PDP thugs killed some of their members across some local government areas on Monday.
“By 9am on Monday, our chairmen in 15 local government areas resumed offices including Osun East, Ilesa East, Ife Central, Ife North, Ilesa West, Atakunmosa West. Irewole, Ayeedaade, Isokan, Olaoluwa, Ede South.
“To our amazement, PDP thugs started going to those councils and what baffled us was that the SSG, Igbalaye, also led PDP thugs to Osogbo Local Government secretariat, threatening anyone who wants to access the council.
“N9billion is the allocations of Osun local government areas and Adeleke doesn’t want to lose N9billion allocation. We lost our people in Irewole, Isokan and Ola Oluwa.
“The Chairman for Irewole Loval Government Area, Remi Abass was killed while trying to resume office. They killed councillor in Isokan. They attacked people in Olorunda.
“Remi Omowaiye, the Executive Director, Project Implementation of the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) was waylaid and attacked at Ilesa-Osogbo expressway. You can count close to 45 bullet points on the Toyota Hiace. At Ife East, somebody was shot at in the leg by PDP thugs.
“We are calling on President Bola Tinubu, IGP and Attorney General of the Federation, DG DSS should come to our aid and intervene in Osun, Adeleke is killing us. We will continue to go to the office. Adeleke can go to air and conjure more thugs because we won’t stop going to the office,” Olawumi said.
Also speaking at the press conference, Omowaiye said some PDP thugs with the support of operatives of Amotekun Corps, attempted to kill him while he was resuming his office in Ilesa.
Omowaiye asked Tinubu to come to the aid of Osun APC, and that Osun Amotekun should be proscribed. He added that his office in Ilesa was attacked by hoodlums.
Adebayo Adeleke refuted allegation that he led thugs to Boripe council, saying “PDP is an epitome of lies.”
Tension still continue to ravage the state as residents live in fear.
When The Point contacted the Public Relations Officer of the Osun State Police Command, Yemisi Opalola did not pick telephone calls and did not respond to text messages.
