Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Tunji Rilwan Disu, has ordered an immediate end to the wave of political violence and killings that has gripped Osun State in recent months, dispatching the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of the South-West, DIG Adegoke Fayoade, to lead an urgent intervention aimed at restoring peace and ensuring the credibility of the August 15 governorship election.
The directive came on the heels of escalating violence in the state, including the tragic killing of 14-year-old Ezekiel Olapade in Ilobu, Irepodun Local Government Area, and the murder of a young man named Aderogba, who was shot dead on Tuesday in Esa-Oke while preparing for a political rally organised to support Governor Ademola Adeleke’s second-term campaign. These incidents, along with several others, have raised alarm among residents, civil society organisations, and political stakeholders, who fear that the state is sliding into anarchy unless decisive action is taken.
DIG Fayoade, who was accompanied by the Assistant Inspector-General of Police for Zone 11, the Osun State Commissioner of Police Ibrahim Gotan, and other senior officers, conveyed the IGP’s message during a closed-door meeting with Governor Adeleke at the Government House in Osogbo on Friday, June 26, 2026. He declared that the police leadership would no longer tolerate any act of brigandage or unlawful conduct in the state. “The Commissioner of Police and his men have been instructed that never again should any act of brigandage take place in this state. The IG has directed the AIG and the CP to take charge and ensure that this act of violence, that is already giving the population apprehension and fear, is not allowed to occur again,” Fayoade said.
He stressed that the IGP had given clear orders that any act of murder, brigandage, or unlawful activity in the state must be fully investigated, and that anyone found culpable should be arrested and prosecuted. “I have also directed the AIG and the Commissioner of Police on the order of the IG, that any act of murder or brigandage or any unlawful act perpetrated in the state must be fully investigated. Anybody found culpable should be arrested and prosecuted,” he stated. Fayoade also assured the governor and the people of Osun that the forthcoming election would be conducted in a peaceful atmosphere, drawing a parallel with the recent successful elections in Anambra and Ekiti states. “We can recall the last election in Anambra, just last Saturday Ekiti election was conducted under a very peaceful atmosphere and we don’t want anything different from that in Osun State. That is the standard that has been set and that is the standard we are going to follow,” he said.
The DIG further revealed that he had visited the Ataoja of Osogbo to reassure the traditional ruler that security challenges would be tackled. He emphasised that the police would not allow bandits, criminals, or political thugs to take over the state or render it unsafe for economic activities and peaceful coexistence. “We don’t want a situation where Osun State will be taken over by bandits, criminals and thugs. We don’t want a situation whereby the state will be made unsafe for economic activities. Now that we are approaching election time, we need absolute peace in the state. We don’t want any act of violence, any act of murder, whatsoever,” Fayoade declared. He acknowledged that while the state had been relatively peaceful until recently, the approach of the election had brought a resurgence of gangsterism and violence, a development the police leadership was determined to stop.
In his response, Governor Adeleke welcomed the intervention and demanded that the stoppage of violence be accompanied by the arrest and prosecution of the political thugs responsible for the killings and maiming of residents. He expressed concern over what he described as an unholy partnership between some police officers and political actors, warning that such complicity would undermine public confidence in the security agencies. “The violence must stop, and the culprits must be prosecuted,” the governor declared, according to the official statement from the Government House.
The IGP’s intervention followed a petition submitted by Abuja-based lawyer Pelumi Olajengbesi, who is also the spokesperson of the Imole Campaign Council, the campaign organisation for Governor Adeleke’s re-election bid. In the petition delivered at the Force Headquarters on Thursday, June 25, Olajengbesi drew the IGP’s attention to a disturbing pattern of election-related violence that had resulted in the loss of innocent lives, serious injuries to citizens, destruction of property, and widespread fear across various communities. He specifically cited the killing of 14-year-old Ezekiel Olapade as one of the most heartbreaking incidents. Olajengbesi accused the Osun State Police Command of complacency and demanded the redeployment of the Commissioner of Police, alongside a comprehensive investigation into every incident of political violence. He urged the deployment of additional tactical and conventional police personnel to identified flashpoints and called for a review of the state’s security architecture to guarantee peaceful elections.
The Accord Party had also called for the immediate removal of Commissioner Gotan, alleging that he had failed to stem persistent attacks on its members. The party’s national publicity secretary, Joseph Omorogbe, said the party had lost confidence in the police commissioner’s ability to safeguard lives and property, citing the killing of a 14-year-old boy in Ilobu as part of a worsening security situation. Similarly, the Osun State APC Governorship Campaign Council had petitioned the IGP, urging the arrest and prosecution of individuals allegedly connected to political killings, while accusing some political actors of using the tragedy for political gain.
The crackdown comes as Osun State prepares for a highly anticipated governorship election on August 15, 2026, which is expected to be fiercely contested among the incumbent Governor Adeleke of the Accord Party, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress, and Adewale Adebayo of the Allied Peoples Movement, among others. The political atmosphere has been tense, with accusations and counter-accusations of violence, intimidation, and electoral manipulation traded among the parties. The IGP’s decision to send a high-level delegation to the state underscores the gravity of the situation and the determination of the police leadership to prevent a repeat of the violence that has marred previous elections in the state.
DIG Fayoade, who is also the head of the Police ICT Department, assured the governor and the people of Osun that the police would live up to expectations and perform their duties in line with the constitution and the rule of law. “We are not going to allow anybody to violate the law of the land and cause any havoc or any uneasiness in the state,” he said. He concluded by stating that the police had restrategised and that officers and men of the command had been given clear instructions to rise to the occasion and put an end to the acts that were embarrassing the country.
As the August 15 election draws nearer, the people of Osun State are watching closely to see whether the police crackdown will translate into tangible improvements in security or whether the violence will continue unabated. For now, the message from the IGP is unambiguous: political killings will not be tolerated, and those responsible will be brought to justice.
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