Ikire Violence: APC Accuses Adeleke Govt Of Sponsoring Thugs, Demands Arrest Of Alleged Culprits

The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused the state government of allegedly sponsoring political thugs responsible for the violent attack in Ikire, Irewole Local Government Area, which reportedly left several people dead and others injured.

The APC Media Cluster made the allegation on Monday during an emergency press conference in Osogbo, describing the incident as a “calculated, armed attack” on residents and law enforcement officers.

The press address, delivered by the group Coordinator, Mr Oluwafunsho Fagbohungbe, alleged that armed thugs allegedly aligned with the Accord Party and operating under the political umbrella of Governor Ademola Adeleke’s administration attacked the Naira and Kobo Junction in Ikire in an attempt to take control of local transport facilities.

According to the group, the attack resulted in the death of innocent commuters, a commercial driver and passing travellers, while economic activities in the town were reportedly disrupted.

“This was not a mere street brawl. It was a calculated, armed attack on public safety and constitutional authority,” the APC group said.

The group further alleged that the violence escalated when the Divisional Police Officer of the Irewole Police Division responded to a distress call following the alleged abduction and assault of an APC member at a motor park.

It claimed that some of the hoodlums subsequently attacked police officers and allegedly snatched service rifles from them.

The APC identified some individuals it alleged were involved in the incident, whom it described as notorious thugs allegedly wanted by law enforcement authorities.

The allegations could not be independently verified as of the time of filing this report.

The APC Media Cluster also linked Monday’s violence to what it described as a recurring pattern of political violence in Irewole Local Government Area.

It recalled the murder of the Chairman of Irewole Local Government, Hon. Remi Abass, on February 17 last year, alleging that no one had been brought to justice over the killing.

The group further alleged that one Jide had been repeatedly identified as a prime suspect in the case, a claim that was not independently verified.

According to the APC, the failure to bring perpetrators of previous political killings to justice had emboldened violent elements in the area.

“Today, those reckless statements have borne tragic results on the streets of Ikire,” the group alleged.

The APC further claimed that the incident occurred barely days after its governorship candidate, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, and Governor Adeleke separately visited President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The group said President Tinubu had directed that Osun State should remain peaceful, stable and governed by the rule of law.

It contrasted Oyebamiji’s alleged commitment to constitutional engagement with what it described as the response of the Adeleke administration and its political allies.

The APC alleged that political thugs had intensified attacks, assaulted police officers and attempted to take over local government secretariats where reinstated APC chairmen were carrying out their statutory duties.

The group accused Governor Adeleke, as the state’s Chief Security Officer, of failing to prevent the alleged activities of political thugs.

“We state unequivocally that Governor Ademola Adeleke, as the Chief Security Officer of Osun State, has abdicated his constitutional oath by allowing state-linked thugs and wanted fugitives to operate with total impunity,” it said.

APC Demands Security Intervention

The APC called on the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 11, the Osun State Commissioner of Police and other security chiefs to urgently intervene.

It demanded the immediate deployment of security personnel to Ikire and other areas considered vulnerable to further violence.

The party also called for the recovery of allegedly stolen police weapons and the arrest and prosecution of those it accused of involvement in the violence.

“Where political actors are complicit in murder and treasonable attacks on police officers, the law must act without fear or favour,” the APC Media Cluster said.

The group, however, commiserated with the families of those reportedly killed in the Ikire violence and appealed to APC members and residents across the state to remain calm.

“We call on all APC members and residents of Osun State to remain calm, avoid reprisal actions, and allow security agencies to perform their duties,” it said.

The APC stressed that political disagreements should not be allowed to degenerate into violence, insisting that “Osun State belongs to all its citizens, and street intimidation will never replace the rule of law.”

The allegations made by the APC Media Cluster, including claims of political sponsorship and the alleged involvement of specific individuals, were yet to be independently verified as of the time of filing this report.

The police authorities and the Osun State Government had also yet to publicly respond to the allegations contained in the APC press address.