The Osun State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of the state Commissioner for Environment, Mayowa Anjorin, and another individual identified as Odeyemi Abimbola over a shooting incident that occurred during a political party procession in Ilesa.
The command said the incident happened when suspected armed men allegedly emerged from a vehicle with registration number OSHA 04 and fired shots indiscriminately around the ongoing political procession.
According to a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, some of the suspected shooters were reportedly dressed as personnel of the Osun State Security Network Agency, also known as Amotekun.
The police said three people, identified as Tobi Ilesanmi, Wasiu Alanide and Aderemi Adedeji, sustained gunshot wounds during the incident and were taken to a hospital for medical attention.
The command added that members of the public chased some of the suspects who attempted to flee the scene. One of the suspected Amotekun operatives allegedly brought out a knife and tried to attack those who apprehended them before escaping.
Following the incident, operatives of the Force Intelligence Department-Intelligence Response Team were deployed to the area, where they reportedly found a Lexus vehicle with registration number ABJ-89TS.
The police said an individual identified as an Amotekun operative was found inside the vehicle with a pump-action firearm. The occupants were subsequently arrested and taken to the State Criminal Investigation Department for questioning.
“Preliminary investigation has identified one of the occupants as Hon. Mayowa Anjorin, Commissioner for Environment, Osun State, while the Amotekun personnel was identified as Odeyemi Abimbiola,” the statement said.
The command also disclosed that it was investigating allegations linking another individual, Wale Akerele, to the incident. It stressed that the allegation remained under investigation and that no one should be presumed guilty until the process is concluded.
Items recovered from the scene included four spent cartridges and an Amotekun cap, according to the police.
The command said the ongoing investigation would determine the circumstances surrounding the shooting, identify all persons involved, establish the source and ownership of the firearms allegedly used and determine the level of involvement of each person connected to the incident.
The police assured residents that the investigation would be conducted professionally, transparently and without political interference.
“Political actors and their supporters should remain calm and avoid spreading unverified information ahead of the forthcoming governorship election,” the command added.
The arrest, however, has triggered a strong reaction from the Accord Party, which accused security agencies of carrying out politically motivated arrests against its members across Osun State.
The spokesperson for the Imole Campaign Council, Pelumi Olajengbesi, alleged that more than 60 Accord members had been arrested in various parts of the state, particularly in Ijesaland, in recent days.
Olajengbesi claimed that the arrests had disrupted the party’s campaign activities, alleging that some prominent members were being detained over what he described as questionable allegations.
He described Anjorin’s arrest as “nothing short of a bandit-like abduction carried out under the cover of police authority”.
“We call for the immediate intervention of the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Olatunji Disu.
“The Nigeria Police Force belongs to the Nigerian people. It does not belong to the APC. It does not belong to Accord. It does not belong to the PDP or to any political godfather,” he said.
The Accord Party also raised a separate allegation concerning an alleged attempt to compromise the electronic processes of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The party claimed that suspected operatives had been brought into Osun from Lagos and Abuja and were allegedly operating from a hotel in Osogbo.
In a statement signed by the party’s state chairman, Pastor Victor Akande, Accord urged INEC and security agencies to investigate the allegation.
The party also called on INEC to strengthen its cybersecurity measures ahead of the governorship election and urged security agencies to search locations allegedly being used for activities capable of undermining the electoral process.
BACKSTORY:
The incident comes ahead of the forthcoming Osun State governorship election, amid heightened political activities and concerns over security during campaigns and political gatherings. The police said the Ilesa shooting occurred when suspected armed men allegedly opened fire around a political procession, leaving three people injured.
The arrest of the Osun Commissioner for Environment and an alleged Amotekun operative has generated further political tension, with the Accord Party accusing security agencies of targeting its members. The party has also raised concerns over alleged attempts to interfere with INEC’s electronic processes and called for stronger security and cybersecurity measures ahead of the election.
The police, however, said its investigation would determine the facts surrounding the shooting and urged political actors and their supporters to avoid spreading unverified information.
