At least three people sustained injuries during an Ilesa rally shooting involving members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Osun State on Saturday. One of those reportedly injured was 14-year-old Tobi Ilesanmi, who was said to have been shot around the Isokun area of Ilesa.
The incident has triggered accusations between the APC and the Accord Party, while police authorities have commenced investigations into the circumstances surrounding the shooting. The Osun State Police Command spokesperson, Abiodun Ojelabi, confirmed that three people were injured and taken to different hospitals.
According to Ojelabi, the shooting allegedly involved persons identified as operatives of the Amotekun Corps who were travelling in a vehicle with an official Osun State Government number plate. He said the incident occurred while an APC street rally was underway in Ilesa. Ojelabi alleged that the operatives emerged from a vehicle bearing registration number OSHAO4 and fired shots, causing people at the rally to flee.
He added that some participants pursued one of the men involved, but the individual allegedly produced a knife before escaping. Following a distress call, police tactical teams responded to the area. The police spokesperson said an Intelligence Response Team, IRT, later intercepted a white Lexus 350 near the scene.
According to him, an Amotekun operative and another occupant were found inside the vehicle. The occupants were taken to the Osun State Police Command headquarters in Osogbo for questioning. Ojelabi identified the second occupant as the Osun State Commissioner for Environment, Mayowa Adejoorin.
He said the investigation was aimed at determining the level of involvement of those arrested in the incident. The police spokesperson added that investigators recovered four expended cartridges from the scene and a pump-action firearm from the Amotekun operative.
“The investigation is ongoing,” Ojelabi said.
Meanwhile, the APC Campaign Council for Ilesa West gave a different account of the incident. Its head, Folarin Fafowora, said the rally was nearing its conclusion when the shooting occurred. According to Fafowora, a vehicle overtook the rally before gunshots were heard, sending participants into panic.
He alleged that individuals later emerged from a vehicle and began shooting, forcing him and others to seek cover. The allegations have also drawn a response from the Imole Campaign Council. Its spokesperson, Pelumi Olajengbesi, accused APC members of being responsible for the violence.
Olajengbesi alleged that APC supporters were shooting during the rally and damaging property belonging to Accord Party members. He further claimed that the Accord Party secretariat was attacked during the incident.
However, the allegations against the APC have not been independently established. The police said investigations are continuing to determine what happened and identify those responsible for the shooting.
There was also no immediate response from the Osun State House of Assembly Chief Whip, Wale Akerele, whom the APC campaign official mentioned in his account of the incident. Attempts to contact Akerele were unsuccessful, while a message sent to him had not received a response at the time of reporting.
The development comes amid heightened political activity in Osun State ahead of the governorship election. Authorities are expected to establish the circumstances surrounding the Ilesa rally shooting, including the identities and affiliations of those involved and the events that led to the injuries.
