By Shina Abubakar, Osogbo
The All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Accord Party in Osun State have traded accusations over the violence in Ikire, Irewole Local Government Area, which reportedly left two persons dead.
The incident occurred after hoodlums reportedly mobilised to the Naira and Kobo area of the town in an alleged attempt to take over the motor park and local government secretariat, leading to a confrontation with the police.
Reacting to the development, the APC accused Governor Ademola Adeleke of failing to adequately protect residents and maintain law and order in the state.
Speaking with journalists, the Coordinator of the APC Media Cluster, Olufunsho Fagbohungbe, said the incident raised concerns about the ability of the state government to maintain peace and protect public institutions.
Fagbohungbe said the development occurred shortly after the party’s governorship candidate, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, and Governor Adeleke separately visited President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
He alleged that the violence was connected to tensions surrounding the control of motor parks and local government secretariats in the state.
“We state unequivocally that Governor Ademola Adeleke, as the Chief Security Officer of Osun State, has abdicated his constitutional oath by allowing state-linked thugs and wanted fugitives to operate with total impunity,” he said.
The APC also alleged that some hoodlums attacked police personnel during the incident and that firearms were reportedly taken from officers.
Fagbohungbe described the incident as an attack on public safety and called for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the violence.
However, the Accord Party rejected the APC’s account and blamed the incident on the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Irewole Division, Mr Bamidele Olatona.
In a statement, the state Chairman of the party, Mr Victor Akande, alleged that the DPO opened fire at the motor park without provocation.
“Eyewitness accounts confirm that the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Irewole Division, Mr Bamidele Olatona, personally stormed the public garage and opened fire sporadically into a crowd of unarmed civilians,” Akande alleged.
He denied that there was any attempt by a group to take over the motor park, saying normal activities were ongoing before the incident.
“There was no crisis or conflict at the said park. There was no takeover bid by any group. The normal park operation was ongoing when the DPO launched the attacks,” he said.
Akande called on the Inspector-General of Police, the Osun State Commissioner of Police and the Police Service Commission to investigate the conduct of the DPO.
The Accord chairman also called for the arrest and prosecution of the police officer if found culpable.
The two parties’ conflicting accounts could not be independently verified as of the time of filing this report.
The Osun State Police Command had earlier commenced an assessment of the incident, with the Commissioner of Police visiting Ikire alongside senior officers. The command said it would brief the public after completing its assessment.
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