By Our Reporter
Tension has gripped Ile-Ife, Osun State, following the shooting and killing of Olalekan Oyeyemi, popularly known as Emir Ajagungbade, amid a lingering dispute over control of motor parks in the state.
Oyeyemi, a chieftain of the Accord Party and an associate of Governor Ademola Adeleke, was reportedly shot at the Mayfair Park in Ile-Ife on Sunday during a confrontation involving rival factions in the transport union.
The incident has triggered renewed concerns over violence linked to the control and management of motor parks, with Governor Adeleke subsequently directing the police to arrest those responsible and announcing plans to establish a new Park Management System.
How the crisis started
According to accounts gathered by Osun Defender, Oyeyemi and other members of his group had attended a meeting with the Osun State Commissioner for Transport, Sesan Oyedele, as part of efforts to resolve the leadership crisis within the state chapter of the National Union of Road Transport Workers.
An NURTW official identified as Gbadegesin alleged that during the meeting, Oyeyemi was being presented as a possible successor to the existing leadership of the union.
The group later moved to the Mayfair Park in Ile-Ife to eat before returning to Osogbo.
It was reportedly at the park that violence erupted.
Gbadegesin alleged that Nurudeen Alowonle, the former state chairman of the NURTW, and Olayemi Ojo, popularly known as Sibi, arrived at the park with several other men.
He alleged that some of the men were masked and armed.
During the ensuing chaos, those present reportedly fled in different directions.
Oyeyemi was allegedly shot while attempting to hide.
He was later taken from the scene in the Sienna vehicle in which he had arrived, according to the account.
Alowonle, Sibi deny involvement
However, the allegations have been rejected by those accused.
Alowonle, in a video circulated after the incident, denied being at the scene, saying he remained in Osogbo throughout the period.
“I did not leave Osogbo. I do not know anything about what happened,” he said, while also denying allegations linking him to the killing.
Sibi also denied involvement, claiming that he himself was attacked by armed men and had sustained bullet wounds.
He further alleged that another faction was responsible for the attack.
The conflicting accounts have made it difficult to immediately establish who fired the fatal shots.
Police launch investigation
The Osun State Police Command confirmed that Oyeyemi was shot during an incident around the Energy Filling Station area of Ile-Ife.
The police said officers were deployed to restore normalcy, secure the scene and investigate the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
According to the command, preliminary investigations established that Oyeyemi, also known as Emir, was shot.
The police said investigators were working to determine the immediate and remote causes of the incident and identify those responsible.
The command also warned against reprisals and urged residents to remain calm and provide information that could assist the investigation.
Adeleke reacts
Following the killing, Governor Adeleke directed the Commissioner of Police to ensure that those responsible were arrested and prosecuted.
The governor also announced the proscription of the state NURTW structure and said his administration would introduce a new Park Management System for motor parks and garages across Osun.
Adeleke said there would be no “sacred cows” in the investigation and called on residents to remain calm while security agencies worked to restore order.
The killing has since heightened tension in parts of Osun, with reports of gunshots and disruption following the incident.
The police investigation is ongoing, and the identities of those responsible for the fatal shooting have yet to be officially established.
