The Osun State Police Command has said suspected hoodlums who snatched an AK-47 service rifle from its personnel were responsible for the killing of two persons in Ikire on Monday.

The command also said two police officers sustained serious injuries during the attack, adding that a patrol vehicle attached to the Ikire Division was forcefully taken away by the assailants.

In a statement signed by the command’s Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Ojelabi, obtained in Osogbo on Tuesday, the police identified the victims of the shooting incident as Nurení Sobowale, male, aged 49, of Odeda Area, Abeokuta, and Saheed Akinrole, male, aged 43, of Adeagbo Compound, Ikire.

According to the statement, the patrol vehicle was later abandoned and recovered with multiple bullet holes and a destroyed windscreen, while nine expended ammunition shells were recovered at the scene and secured for forensic analysis.

“The remains of the two deceased civilians have been deposited at Oluyoro Catholic Mortuary, and their families have been duly notified.

“The injured police officers were initially taken to a nearby hospital for emergency treatment and have since been referred to the University College Hospital, Ibadan, for advanced medical care,” the statement read.

Giving details of the attack, the command said that around 11 am on Monday, unidentified assailants suspected to be political thugs attacked a police patrol team attached to the Ikire Division along the Ibadan-Ife Expressway.

The statement further read, “The patrol team, accompanied by the Divisional Police Officer of Ikire Division, was responding to a distress call regarding the alleged abduction of one Sunkanmi, male, surname unknown.

“Upon arrival at the location, the officers came under sudden and unprovoked attack by a group of unidentified hoodlums.

“The assailants opened fire on the police officers while they were inside their operational vehicle and succeeded in snatching one AK-47 service rifle.

“The hoodlums used the stolen weapon to fire indiscriminately, resulting in the tragic loss of two innocent civilians.”

The command said the newly deployed Osun State Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Zungura, had visited the scene for an on-the-spot assessment of the situation.

It added that the commissioner directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department to conduct a comprehensive investigation and ordered the immediate deployment of tactical and intelligence assets to the area to identify, track and apprehend the perpetrators.

Condemning what it described as an “unprovoked attack on police personnel and the senseless loss of innocent lives,” the command urged members of the public to remain calm and vigilant.

It appealed to anyone with credible and timely information that could assist in apprehending the assailants to report to the nearest police station or contact the command.

The police assured the public that necessary measures were being taken to restore and maintain security along the affected axis and across the state.

The PUNCH had reported that two people were feared killed in Ikire, Osun State, on Monday following an alleged attempt to take over a motor park at Naira and Kobo Junction in the town.

One of the videos of the incident obtained by our correspondent showed a man sitting in a vehicle and appearing to be dead, with an open wound on his head.

In another picture, a man was seen lying face down in a pool of blood. Sources who spoke to The PUNCH on condition of anonymity said drivers allegedly loyal to the All Progressives Congress had been in control of the park until some drivers, who were said to be members of the Accord, arrived at about 10.30 am and allegedly attempted to take over the park.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, on Tuesday condemned the escalating post-election violence and the tragic loss of lives across parts of Osun State.

In a statement signed by his Special Adviser, Dr Bolaji Akinola, the former Osun State governor described the attacks on citizens across the state as a grave assault on the peace, heritage and democratic values of the people of Osun State.

He subsequently charged the Osun State police command and other security agencies to act decisively to restore order and protect residents.

Oyetola stressed that “No political ambition or commercial interest could ever justify the loss of human life”, urging all stakeholders to reject violence and embrace dialogue in resolving disputes.

“Politics must be a vehicle for development, not a catalyst for bloodshed.”

He also expressed condolences to the families of those killed in the violence and charged the security agencies to act decisively to restore order and protect residents, particularly in areas affected by the unrest.

Oyetola urged the security agencies to deploy “adequate personnel to volatile locations, reclaim public spaces from hoodlums, and ensure that all those responsible for the killings and other acts of violence are swiftly apprehended and brought to justice.”

He appealed to residents across the state to prioritise peace and restraint, warning that the progress and prosperity of Osun must not be sacrificed on the altar of political or commercial interests.

He reaffirmed his commitment to the peace, security and development of Osun State, urging citizens to work together to preserve the state’s long-standing reputation for civility, enterprise and democratic values.

The PUNCH also reports that the Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress accused the administration of Governor Ademola Adeleke of aiding suspected hoodlums allegedly responsible for the violent attacks that occurred in Ikire on Monday.

Addressing journalists in Osogbo on the incident, the Chairman of the Osun APC Media Cluster, Oluwafunsho Fagbohungbe, said the crisis began when suspected hoodlums allegedly working for the Accord launched a violent assault to forcefully take over a motor park.

However, the Osun Accord chairman, Victor Akande, while condemning the incident in a statement, accused the Divisional Police Officer of the Irewole Division, Bamidele Olatona, of orchestrating the mayhem.

Akande said there was no crisis or conflict at the park when the DPO allegedly opened fire, accusing him of acting unprofessionally and without provocation.