Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
A fresh wave of violence has rocked Osogbo, the Osun State capital, leaving two people dead, at least eight others injured, and 19 vehicles vandalised in a series of coordinated attacks that have heightened tensions ahead of the August 15 governorship election. The incidents, which occurred between Wednesday night, July 15, and Thursday morning, July 16, 2026, have been linked to both political rivalry and cult-related clashes, further inflaming an already volatile political atmosphere in the state.
The first attack took place on Wednesday night in the Owode-Igbona area of Osogbo, where suspected hoodlums targeted members of the All Progressives Congress holding a mobilisation meeting. The gathering was organised for supporters of the APC governorship candidate, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, ahead of the formal flag-off of the party's campaign. According to eyewitness accounts, the assailants, dressed in black uniforms and arriving in a white bus and another vehicle, opened fire on the meeting. A survivor of the attack, Ogundele Awosola, who was recently decamped from the Accord Party to the APC, recounted how the attackers targeted him personally. "We saw a white bus and another vehicle and thought they were policemen, so we did not run," he said. "One of them, whom I know as Rugged, pointed a gun at me and ordered me to follow him... He fired into the air to threaten me, but I pushed him away, and I escaped". The attack resulted in the deaths of two APC members: Kazeem Akande, 70, and Lekan, who died from gunshot wounds.
In a separate incident early Thursday morning, suspected hoodlums, reportedly avenging the death of a colleague, attacked a motor park at Idi Seke in Osogbo. The attackers, said to be members of the "Egbatedo Boys," numbering about 40, stormed the park with guns and other weapons. They smashed 19 vehicles parked within the premises and injured two drivers. The Chairman of the NURTW Idi Seke Branch, Maruf Adekunle, confirmed the attack, stating that the hoodlums broke all the glass of the vehicles and carted away phones and messages meant for delivery to Lagos.
The violence has drawn sharp reactions from political leaders. Governor Ademola Adeleke condemned the killings and called for calm, describing the attack as a suspected cult-related killing and dismissing allegations of state government complicity. In a statement, he urged security agencies to enforce the law and apprehend those responsible. "The incidents of cult violence at Osogbo should be curtailed immediately so as not to complicate the delicate security situation after recent political violence in the state," Adeleke said.
The Osun State Police Command confirmed the deaths and said two suspects had been arrested in connection with one of the attacks. Police spokesperson DSP Abiodun Ojelabi said one person died in the Egbatedo clash, with four others injured, while one person was also killed in the Owode-Igbona clash. A pistol, three rounds of ammunition and five cartridges were recovered from the scene.
The attacks have raised serious concerns about the security situation in Osun State, particularly with the governorship election less than a month away. The APC has condemned the violence as politically motivated, with Senior Special Assistant to the President on Protocol, Ambassador Issa Niniola, alleging that released prison inmates were being armed to unleash violence on opposition members. The party has called on the international community to take note of the situation and urged the Inspector-General of Police to intervene urgently.
As of the time of reporting, security operatives have been deployed to strategic locations around Idi Seke and other affected areas to prevent further breakdown of law and order. The police have assured residents that investigations are ongoing and that efforts are being made to arrest the remaining perpetrators.
📩 Stone Reporters News | 🌍 stonereportersnews.com
✉️ info@stonereportersnews.com | 📘 Facebook: Stone Reporters News | 🐦 X (Twitter): @StoneReportNew | 📸 Instagram: @stonereportersnews
Add comment
Comments