Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The acting chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Osun State, Kazeem Oyewale, popularly known as Asiri Eniba, has vehemently denied allegations that he orchestrated an assassination attempt on the son of Governor Ademola Adeleke, Afrobeat singer Adebayo Adeleke, also known as B-Red. Mr Oyewale, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has gone further, demanding an immediate investigation into the matter and pleading with President Bola Tinubu and the Inspector‑General of Police, Olatunji Disu, to provide him and his family with security, alleging that the accusations are part of a politically motivated campaign of harassment directed at him and his supporters.
The controversy erupted on April 30, 2026, when the Osun State Commissioner for Information, Kolapo Alimi, announced that Governor Adeleke’s son had narrowly escaped an “assassination attempt” in the Oke-Fia area of Osogbo. According to the official government account, armed thugs believed to be loyal to the transport leader surrounded B-Red’s vehicle in a high-speed chase that extended all the way to the gates of the Government House. The governor’s son himself gave a detailed statement to the police, claiming that a white Toyota Venza, alongside several motorcycle riders wearing branded caps, had been deployed to intercept him. In a statement released through the government, B-Red identified “Asiri Eniba” as the ringleader of the attackers.
In response to the damning allegations, Mr Oyewale held a press conference on Monday, May 11, 2026, in Osogbo, during which he described the accusations as “fabricated, politically motivated, and a malicious attempt to silence him.” He argued that the governor’s administration was using the scare tactic to justify a crackdown on his union ahead of the August 15, 2026, governorship election. He specifically refuted the narrative that he had the power or the motive to harm the governor’s family.
“I want to call the attention of President Bola Tinubu, the IGP and Nigerians. They should come to my aid because the governor and Kolapo Alimi have called for my arrest over untrue allegations, and they are even threatening me,” Oyewale was quoted as saying. He further told journalists that he was not just being targeted over the present allegation but was being held responsible for every act of violence in the political landscape of the state. “They killed my younger brother in November 2022, and they have not released the corpse to us till today. This is another election cycle in Osun State. Any time something goes wrong within their party, they will blame me for it,” he said.
The escalating war of words has drawn a sharp rebuke from the Osun State Police Command, which has stepped in to de-escalate the political tensions. Preliminary police investigations largely contradicted the government’s dramatic narrative of a high-level assassination attempt. While confirming that there was a disturbance in the Oke-Fia area involving suspected political thugs and a vehicular chase, the police described the incident as an “attack” rather than an assassination plot. In a statement issued on May 2, the police called for restraint, noting that early political statements often produced competing narratives that overshadowed the actual facts of an investigation.
Legal proceedings are now on the horizon. Mr Oyewale has announced that he will be suing Governor Adeleke and Commissioner Alimi over what he terms “defamation of character” and their alleged role in the unresolved 2022 murder of his brother. His lawyers argue that the swift public naming of a suspect by the government before a formal police indictment amounts to undue political persecution.
As the August 15 election draws nearer, the allegations have introduced a volatile new element into the Osun political space. Mr Oyewale has also faced accusations from the government regarding the destruction of Accord Party billboards, charges he also firmly denies, repeating his stance that the ruling party is using the security apparatus to harass APC members. While the police continue to consolidate their findings on the original incident, the NURTW boss remains defiant, insisting that the only crime he is guilty of is being a member of the opposition party.
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