Two civilians were killed and two police officers seriously injured after suspected political thugs attacked a police patrol team along the Ibadan-Ife Expressway in Ikire, Osun State.
The attack occurred at about 11 a.m. on Monday, August 24, when officers attached to the Ikire Divisional Police Headquarters, accompanied by the Divisional Police Officer, responded to a distress call over the alleged abduction of a man identified as Sunkanmi.
According to the Osun State Police Command, the officers came under sudden gunfire shortly after arriving at the scene.
The attackers allegedly opened fire on the patrol team and snatched an AK-47 service rifle from one of the officers.
The police said the assailants subsequently used the stolen weapon to shoot indiscriminately, killing two civilians.
The victims were identified as 49-year-old Nurení Sobowale of Odeda Area, Abeokuta, and 43-year-old Saheed Akinrole of Adeagbo Compound, Ikire. Their remains were deposited at Oluyoro Catholic Mortuary, while their families were notified.
The two injured officers were initially taken to a nearby hospital for emergency treatment before being referred to the University College Hospital, Ibadan, for further medical attention.
The assailants also reportedly seized the police patrol vehicle but later abandoned it.
The vehicle was recovered with multiple bullet holes and a shattered windscreen, while nine expended ammunition shells found at the scene were secured for forensic examination, the police said.
The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, said the command was investigating the incident and pursuing those responsible.
The newly deployed Commissioner of Police in Osun, Ibrahim Zungura, visited the scene for an on-the-spot assessment and directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department to conduct a comprehensive investigation. He also ordered tactical and intelligence teams to track down the attackers and recover the stolen rifle.
The command condemned the attack and urged residents along the affected corridor to remain calm and vigilant. It also appealed for credible information that could assist the police in arresting the perpetrators.
The incident came barely nine days after Osun State’s governorship election, which has been followed by heightened political tensions and concerns over security in parts of the state.
On the same day the attack occurred, Zungura assumed office as the new Commissioner of Police in Osun and met with Governor Ademola Adeleke. The Governor urged him to restore public confidence in the police and ensure impartial policing in the state.
Adeleke said the state had passed through turbulent political moments and that post-election peace and reconciliation had yet to be fully achieved in some areas.
The Governor also called for disciplinary action against the DPO of Ikire, whom he said had been “fingered” in the incident, although details of the allegation and its connection to Monday’s attack were not immediately clear.
The police have not announced any arrests in connection with the attack.
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