Two civilians were reportedly killed while two police officers sustained serious injuries when unidentified assailants suspected to be political thugs attacked a police patrol team along the Ibadan-Ife Expressway in Ikire, Irewole Local Government Area of Osun State.

New Telegraph gathered that the incident occurred at about 11:00 a.m. on Monday, August 24, 2026, when the police team, accompanied by the Divisional Police Officer of Ikire Division, responded to a distress call over the alleged abduction of a man identified simply as Sunkanmi.

According to a statement issued by the Osun State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, the officers came under sudden attack from the hoodlums shortly after arriving at the scene.

The attackers reportedly opened fire on the police personnel inside their operational vehicle and snatched one of the officers’ AK-47 rifles.

The police said the assailants subsequently used the stolen rifle to fire indiscriminately, resulting in the death of two civilians identified as 49-year-old Nurení Sobowale of Odeda Area, Abeokuta, and 43-year-old Saheed Akinrole of Adeagbo Compound, Ikire.

Two police officers were also seriously injured during the attack and are currently receiving medical attention at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, after being referred there from a nearby hospital.

The police patrol vehicle attached to Ikire Division was also reportedly taken away by the assailants but was later abandoned and recovered with multiple bullet holes and a shattered windscreen. Nine expended ammunition shells were recovered at the scene for forensic analysis.

The remains of the two deceased civilians have been deposited at Oluyoro Catholic Mortuary, while their families have been notified of the tragedy.

The newly deployed Commissioner of Police in Osun State, CP Ibrahim Zungura, immediately visited the scene upon resumption of duty for an on-the-spot assessment and directed a comprehensive investigation into the incident.

The CP also ordered the immediate deployment of tactical and intelligence assets to the area to identify, track and apprehend the perpetrators.

The Command condemned the attack on its personnel and the loss of innocent lives, urging residents to remain calm and vigilant while providing credible information that could assist the police in apprehending those responsible.

The police assured residents that all necessary measures were being taken to restore and maintain security along the affected axis and across the state, adding that the outcome of the investigation would be made public in due course.

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