Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The arrest of a serving state commissioner just days before a governorship election has thrown Osun State into a political firestorm, as rival parties trade accusations over a shooting incident that left at least four people injured and heightened fears of electoral violence. The Osun State Police Command confirmed on Saturday, August 8, 2026, that it had taken into custody the Commissioner for Environment and Sanitation, Honourable Mayowa Adejoorin, in connection with gunshots fired during an All Progressives Congress (APC) rally in Ilesa earlier that day. The arrest, which occurred barely nine days before the August 15 governorship election, has sparked outrage from Governor Ademola Adeleke's campaign organisation and raised urgent questions about the role of security agencies in the heated political contest.
According to the police account, the violence erupted when APC supporters gathered for an early-morning rally in the Oke-Omiru area of Ilesa and began marching towards Isokun. During the procession, a vehicle bearing registration number OSHAO4 was reportedly parked near the rally site. Persons identified as operatives of the Amotekun Corps allegedly emerged from the vehicle and fired shots sporadically, sending supporters fleeing for safety. Some APC supporters chased the fleeing men, and one of those caught reportedly drew a knife and attempted to stab his pursuers before escaping. The matter was promptly reported to the police, prompting tactical teams already deployed in the area to respond.
The police later intercepted a white Lexus 350 carrying an Amotekun operative and another occupant. Upon interrogation, the second occupant was identified as Commissioner Mayowa Adejoorin. The police spokesperson for the Osun State Command, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, confirmed that Adejoorin was arrested at the scene and taken to the command headquarters for questioning. "Immediately the incident was reported, our personnel moved to the scene, cordoned off the area before some exhibits were recovered, which included expanded cartridges, Amotekun personnel caps," Ojelabi said. He added that investigations had commenced to determine the commissioner's level of involvement, if any, in the incident.
The shooting left a trail of injuries that underscored the human cost of the political tension gripping the state. Among the wounded was a 12-year-old boy, Tobi Ilesanmi, who was inside his mother's shop when a stray bullet struck him. Other reports identified a 14-year-old boy simply named Ilesanmi among the injured. The injured victims were rushed to hospital for treatment, and as of press time, no fatalities had been recorded. An eyewitness, Kola Adeoti, alleged that security personnel accompanying Accord Party chieftains fired directly at APC members, sparking protests across Ilesa. However, these allegations could not be independently verified.
The arrest has ignited a fierce political backlash, with Governor Adeleke's campaign organisation, the Imole Campaign Council, condemning what it described as a politically motivated abduction. The council's spokesperson, Pelumi Olajengbesi, told journalists in Osogbo that Adejoorin was arrested outside Ilesa while travelling to Osogbo, not at the scene of the shooting as the police claimed. "The manner of his arrest is particularly disturbing. We consider what happened to Hon Adejoorin as nothing short of a bandit-line abduction carried out under the cover of police authority," Olajengbesi declared. He alleged that the commissioner had earlier received a telephone call from a federal lawmaker who threatened that he would be arrested.
The Imole Campaign Council further claimed that Adejoorin was targeted because he refused to defect to the APC. "Honourable Mayowa was approached to support the APC, but he refused, and he was subsequently arrested," Olajengbesi alleged. He also accused the police of carrying out indiscriminate arrests and intimidating Accord Party leaders and supporters across Ijesaland. "For some time now, we have witnessed a disturbing pattern in which prominent Accord leaders and supporters in Ijesaland are picked up by the Police on allegations that are apparently motivated by sinister political calculations," he said. The council demanded the immediate and unconditional release of Adejoorin, insisting there was no lawful or credible basis for his detention.
The Accord Party has also formally called on the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, to intervene and order the release of the commissioner. The party described the arrest as a "bandit-like abduction" aimed at weakening the opposition ahead of the election. "The APC is desperate in Ijesaland. And rather than face the people in a free, fair and competitive election, there is a growing concern that these rejected political actors may be seeking to weaken the Accord Party's structures by removing its leaders from the field," Olajengbesi charged. The party also urged the Independent National Electoral Commission and civil society organisations to monitor developments in Ijesaland closely, warning that the arrests may be "connected to an attempt to create an environment conducive to electoral manipulation".
The APC, however, has offered a sharply different narrative. The Director of Media of the AMBO Campaign Organisation, Honourable Remi Omowaye, alleged that hoodlums, aided by Amotekun operatives, unleashed terror on APC supporters during the rally. He accused the Chief Whip of the Osun State House of Assembly of being the "arrowhead" of the attack and claimed that police officers at the scene were helpless while the shooting lasted. Omowaye said he personally facilitated the evacuation of an injured boy to Wesley Guild Hospital, Ilesa, where the victim was receiving treatment. The conflicting accounts from both parties have deepened the political tension in a state already on edge ahead of the high-stakes election.
The timing of the incident could not be more critical. Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party is seeking re-election against the APC candidate, Asiwaju Bola Oyebamiji, and other contenders in the August 15 poll. The shooting and subsequent arrest have injected a volatile element into the final stretch of the campaign, with both sides accusing each other of deploying violence and state security apparatus to gain an unfair advantage. The police, for their part, have maintained that the arrest is part of a routine investigation into a criminal incident and not a political manoeuvre. Yet, with the election just days away, perceptions matter as much as facts, and the optics of a sitting commissioner being detained over a shooting at a rival party's rally are deeply troubling for those who hope for a peaceful electoral process.
As Osun State braces for what promises to be a fiercely contested election, the fate of Commissioner Adejoorin remains uncertain. The police have not indicated whether he will be charged or released, and investigations are ongoing. What is clear, however, is that the incident has laid bare the raw nerves and deep suspicions that characterise Nigerian electoral politics. In a state where political loyalties often run along ethnic and communal lines, the violence in Ilesa is a grim reminder of how quickly campaign enthusiasm can descend into chaos. For the people of Osun, the hope is that the coming days will be marked by restraint and respect for the rule of law, rather than further bloodshed and political persecution. But if Saturday's events are any indication, that hope may be a fragile one.
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