By A bitter leadership dispute within Osun State’s motor park union has left at least one person dead and triggered a wave of unrest in Ile-Ife and Osogbo, after Accord Party chieftain Olalekan Oyeyemi, popularly known as “Emir Ajagungbade,” was shot during a clash at Mayfair Motor Park in Ile-Ife on Sunday.
What Sparked the Clash
Oyeyemi’s death is tied to a leadership tussle within the state chapter of the National Union of Road Transport Workers. He had reportedly been seeking to take over control of the parks currently led by Wakili Nurudeen, popularly known as Alowonle, a rivalry that had steadily built tension between the two camps.
Multiple sources say Oyeyemi and his group had just left a meeting with the state Commissioner for Transport, Sesan Oyedele, at the commissioner’s residence in Modakeke, where union leaders reportedly informed Oyedele of their decision to install Oyeyemi as the next NURTW state chairman. The group then proceeded to Mayfair Motor Park to eat before their planned return to Osogbo.
Eyewitness Account of the Attack
Speaking in a video that circulated on Facebook, NURTW state vice chairman Gbadegesin gave a detailed account of the events leading up to the shooting. He described being called into the meeting at the commissioner’s house, where union executives were told that Oyeyemi was being considered for the top position, and said the group moved to Mayfair Park afterward at Oyeyemi’s suggestion so the visiting elders could eat before heading back.
According to Gbadegesin, Alowonle, whose leadership had reportedly been dissolved by the state government, arrived at the park along with Olayemi Ojo, known as Sibi, the branch chairman of the Sabo/Lagere park, accompanied by a group of masked men carrying weapons. He named several individuals allegedly present during the attack and said everyone at the scene scattered for safety. He said Oyeyemi was shot while trying to hide and did not die instantly, and was later transported to Osogbo in the Sienna bus the group had arrived in.
The shooting quickly ignited tension in Osogbo, with supporters of Oyeyemi reportedly taking to the streets and firing shots into the air. The unrest forced businesses in parts of the city, including Isale Osun, Asoje, Oja-Oba and Balogun Agoro, to shut down, while residents and motorists avoided areas where gunfire was heard.
Alowonle and Sibi Deny Involvement
Both men accused of orchestrating the attack have denied any role in it. In a video statement, Alowonle insisted he never left Osogbo throughout the incident and rejected any connection to the killing. “I did not leave Osogbo. I do not know anything about what happened. Nobody should defame me. Whenever anything happens, it is my name they will mention. I am not a murderer. I am not a criminal,” he said.
Sibi, who was accused of leading the attacking group, also denied responsibility in a separate video, claiming instead that his own group had come under fire from armed men allegedly sent by a rival figure identified only as Gbade. He pointed to visible injuries on his body as proof that he too had been targeted, insisting he had no connection to Oyeyemi’s death.
Police Launch Investigation
The Osun State Police Command confirmed the shooting in an official statement issued by spokesperson Abiodun Ojelabi, who said operatives were deployed to the area around the Energy Filling Station in Ile-Ife to secure the scene and begin investigations once police were alerted. Preliminary findings confirmed that Oyeyemi had been shot, and the command said it was working to establish both the immediate and underlying causes of the incident and identify those responsible.
Commissioner of Police Ibrahim Zungura condemned the shooting and warned against any form of reprisal, vigilante action or destruction of property, urging residents to remain calm and cooperate with investigators. The command reaffirmed its commitment to protecting lives and property in the state and extended condolences to Oyeyemi’s family.
Adeleke Confirms Death, Proscribes NURTW
Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, in a statement issued through his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, confirmed that Oyeyemi had died from the shooting and directed the Commissioner of Police to identify and apprehend those responsible. The governor also announced the proscription of the state chapter of NURTW, saying an executive order would soon be issued to establish a new park management framework.
“Law and order must be maintained. There will be no sacred cows as all culprits will be brought to book. We call on members of the public to remain calm. We will ensure restoration of peace in all the affected parks and areas. The security agencies are under instruction to ensure the sustainability of peace at all costs,” Adeleke said, adding that a new Park Management System would soon be formally introduced.
Second Body Recovered, Burial Held Amid Tension
By Monday, the situation had escalated further. The Osun State Police Command announced that a second corpse had been recovered from within the Mayfair Motor Park premises, bringing the total number of casualties linked to the incident to two. The identity and circumstances surrounding the second victim were not immediately disclosed.
The same day, Oyeyemi’s remains were interred according to traditional rites at his newly completed residence in the Agunbelewo area of Osogbo. The burial was witnessed by close family members and traditional priests, while associates who had accompanied the body from Osun State University Teaching Hospital in Osogbo were made to wait outside the premises during the interment.
Before the body was released from the hospital morgue, suspected hoodlums believed to be associates of the deceased reportedly attacked two hospital staff members after discovering they were being filmed on their phones. Additional police vehicles were subsequently deployed to the hospital premises, which helped restore calm.
Police Say Case Now With State CID
Giving an update on Monday, police spokesperson Abiodun Ojelabi said the Mayfair Motor Park has remained shut following the governor’s directive and confirmed that a recovered corpse had been deposited at the morgue. He said the case has since been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation.
Ojelabi also urged individuals being named in connection with the killing to report themselves at the nearest police station rather than issuing denials on social media, stressing that the Commissioner of Police had promised that everyone involved would be apprehended and prosecuted regardless of their identity or standing.
Transport Commissioner Responds to Allegations
Commissioner for Transportation Sesan Oyedele addressed claims made by two NURTW leaders in Ile-Ife, identified as Gbadagesin and Kazeem Akeem, who alleged in videos circulating online that he had summoned union leaders to his house and informed them that the state government had endorsed Oyeyemi as the next chairman.
Oyedele disputed that characterisation of events, saying the individuals who spoke about the meeting were not actually present when discussions about the NURTW chairmanship took place. He explained that union leaders had approached him on their own initiative to inform him of their decision to back Oyeyemi, and that he had simply agreed to relay their position to the governor and other officials upon the governor’s return to the state.
“They came around 9:00 a.m. on Sunday. When they got to my house, they told me that they had all agreed that Olalekan Emir should be the next chairman, and they wanted me to support them. I told them that since that was what they wanted, I would present their case before the governor, the Chief of Staff and others when he gets back to the state. That was our agreement before they left. It was two hours after they left my house that I was called that Emir had been killed,” Oyedele said, appealing to residents to remain calm and expressing confidence that the crisis would soon be resolved.
