OSOGBO — Tension gripped Osogbo, Osun State, on Wednesday after gunmen suspected to be political thugs exchanged gunfire with security operatives attached to Governor Ademola Adeleke near the palace of the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji.
The incident occurred while the governor was at the monarch’s palace shortly after receiving his Certificate of Return from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) following his victory in the August 15, 2026 governorship election.
Adeleke arrived at the palace at about 3:15 p.m. in a convoy of approximately 20 vehicles after leaving the Osun State INEC headquarters in Osogbo.
According to an eyewitness, the governor and his entourage were being received by Oba Oyetunji when the sound of gunfire rent the air in the vicinity of the palace.
The eyewitness, who spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons, said the suspected assailants arrived in a Space Bus and engaged the governor’s security aides in an exchange of gunfire that lasted between 12 and 15 minutes.
The shooting reportedly triggered panic in the area, forcing traders, residents and other people nearby to abandon their businesses and run to safety.
The circumstances surrounding the attack remained unclear as of the time of filing this report.
However, the Osun State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, confirmed the incident.
Alimi suggested that the gunfire might have resulted from a clash between rival cult groups rather than a direct attack on the governor or the monarch.
Efforts to obtain further clarification from the Osun State Police Command were unsuccessful, as the command’s spokesperson, Abiodun Ojelabi, could not be reached through his telephone lines.
The incident came on the same day Adeleke announced measures to support families affected by electoral violence during the build-up to the August 15 governorship election.
The governor announced automatic scholarships up to university level for children and dependants of persons who lost their lives in the violence.
He also pledged that the state government would establish a ₦500 million Election Violence Victims Endowment Fund to provide relief and support to verified victims and families affected by the violence.
The latest shooting has, however, renewed concerns over security in the state following the tensions that characterised the period leading to the governorship election.
