At least three people were injured after gunshots disrupted an All Progressives Congress, APC, street rally in Ilesa, Osun State, on Saturday, triggering conflicting allegations between the APC and Accord Party.
One of those injured was identified as 14-year-old Tobi Ilesanmi, who was reportedly shot around the Isokun area of Ilesa. The incident also resulted in the arrest of Osun State Commissioner for Environment, Mayowa Adejoorin, who was reportedly passing through the area when police officers responding to the incident intercepted his vehicle.
The Osun State Police Command confirmed that three people sustained injuries during the incident and were taken to different hospitals. Police spokesperson, Abiodun Ojelabi, said preliminary information indicated that the shooting involved individuals identified as operatives of the Amotekun Corps.
According to him, the operatives were allegedly travelling in a vehicle bearing an official Osun State Government number plate when they reportedly emerged and fired shots at the rally. Ojelabi said some participants pursued the individuals after the shooting, but one person who was caught allegedly produced a knife and attempted to attack those approaching him before escaping.
The police spokesperson said tactical teams from the Intelligence Response Team, IRT, subsequently responded to the scene. He said officers intercepted a white Lexus 350 approaching the area and found an Amotekun operative and another occupant inside. The occupants were taken to the police headquarters in Osogbo for questioning.Police later identified the second occupant as Commissioner Adejoorin.
Ojelabi said investigators recovered four expended cartridges from the scene, while a pump-action firearm was allegedly recovered from the Amotekun operative. He stressed that investigations were still ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding the shooting and determine the level of involvement, if any, of those arrested.
The police have not announced any final finding linking the commissioner personally to the shooting. His arrest, according to the command, followed his interception by officers responding to the incident rather than an announced conclusion that he was responsible for the attack.
The Head of the APC Campaign Council for Ilesa West, Folarin Fafowora, said the shooting occurred as the party’s rally was nearing its conclusion. Fafowora said the atmosphere changed suddenly after a vehicle overtook the rally. He identified the occupant as the Chief Whip of the Osun State House of Assembly, Wale Akerele, and said people initially moved toward him before gunshots were heard.
According to Fafowora, the shooting caused participants to flee as confusion spread around the Isokun area. He said several people sought cover as gunfire reportedly continued. Fafowora’s account supports the APC’s position that the incident disrupted a party rally and resulted in panic among participants. Efforts to contact Akerele for his response were unsuccessful as of the time of filing the report.
The Accord Party, however, offered a different account of the incident. The spokesperson for the Imole Campaign Council, Pelumi Olajengbesi, alleged that members of the APC were responsible for the violence. He claimed that APC members were shooting during the rally and accused them of destroying property belonging to Accord supporters. Olajengbesi specifically alleged that the Accord Party secretariat was attacked.
“The video of Ilesa shooting is all over the place,” he said, while maintaining that the incident should not be attributed to Accord supporters. The competing accounts could not immediately be independently reconciled.
The police investigation is expected to establish what happened before, during and after the shooting, including the identities of those who fired the weapons and the circumstances surrounding the presence of the Amotekun personnel at the scene. The authorities will also have to determine whether the commissioner or any other individual arrested in connection with the incident had any role in the violence.
For now, the confirmed facts are that a shooting occurred during the APC rally, three people were injured, firearms-related exhibits were recovered and individuals were taken into police custody for questioning. The competing political claims remain allegations pending the conclusion of the investigation.
The incident comes amid heightened political activity in Osun State ahead of the governorship election. The competing accounts from the APC and Accord Party have added another layer to the political contest, with both sides seeking to attribute responsibility for the violence to their opponents.
The police have urged restraint while investigations continue. The outcome of the probe will be crucial in determining whether the allegations made by either political camp are supported by evidence and whether any individuals will face criminal or administrative charges.
