Gunmen have shot and killed the newly reinstated chairman of Irewole Local Government in Osun State, Remi Abass. The attack happened on Monday when he arrived at the council secretariat with his supporters.
According to reports, the assailants, suspected to be thugs, launched the attack, causing chaos. Abass and other sacked council officials had moved into the secretariat early in the morning, following a Court of Appeal ruling that APC members claimed reinstated them.
However, the Osun State Government insisted that a Federal High Court had nullified their election. This disagreement led to heightened tensions as both parties struggled for dominance over the third tier of government.
Security forces, including the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services (DSS), have since arrested several suspects linked to the violence.
Efforts to reach Osun State Police spokesperson SP Opalola Yemisi for comments were unsuccessful, as she did not respond to calls or messages.
The Commissioner for Protocol and Government Affairs, Soji Ajeigbe, stated that two PDP members, identified as Ege and Igara, were also killed in the clash. He added that the bodies had been taken to the morgue, while injured persons were receiving medical attention at the hospital.
According to him, six others lost their lives in the incident, although details surrounding their deaths remain unclear.
Before this incident, Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke had raised concerns about a plan to cause unrest in the state. He accused Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, of attempting to illegally reinstate sacked local government chairmen by influencing security agencies.
Adeleke, speaking at a press conference on Sunday, warned that Oyetola’s alleged actions could lead to disorder. He stated that the affected chairmen had been removed by court rulings before his administration took office.
He urged President Bola Tinubu to intervene and prevent further instability in Osun.
