Post-election violence in Osun State has taken another deadly turn after Olalekan Oyeyemi, popularly known as Emir Ajagungbade and an ally of Governor Ademola Adeleke, was shot dead in Ile-Ife amid a dispute over control of motor parks.
The shooting occurred on Sunday, September 13, 2026, around the Energy Filling Station in Ile-Ife.
The Osun State Police Command has launched an investigation into the killing and said it was working to establish the immediate and remote causes of the shooting and identify those responsible.
The command said officers initially responded to a report of an accident around the filling station before preliminary investigations established that Oyeyemi had been shot.
The latest killing comes against the backdrop of a series of violent incidents that have persisted in Osun since the August 15 governorship election.
On August 19, Governor Adeleke’s convoy came under attack shortly after leaving the palace of the paramount ruler of Osogbo, triggering a shootout. Five days later, a separate shooting at Naira and Kobo Junction in the Motor Park/Garage Area of Ikire, Irewole Local Government Area, killed two people and left two police officers seriously injured, according to reports by The PUNCH.
The incidents have heightened concerns over the state’s post-election security situation, with political tensions, rival factions and disputes over control of public spaces adding to the pressure.
Motor Parks Become New Flashpoint
The latest incident has also renewed attention on longstanding disputes over control of motor parks in Osun.
Rival groups have continued to clash over leadership and control of motor parks, with the disputes producing high-profile casualties among factional loyalists and reinstated local government figures.
In July, Adeleke suspended activities of the National Union of Road Transport Workers in the state after violence broke out at motor parks.
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Following Oyeyemi’s killing, the governor directed the immediate vacation of the parks by the warring groups and ordered the establishment of a Park Management System.
Adeleke also directed the police commissioner to arrest those involved in the killing and instructed security agencies to restore normalcy across the state.
Police Warn Against Reprisal
Police spokesman DSP Abiodun Ojelabi said the command would pursue those responsible for the shooting.
He appealed to residents to remain calm and avoid reprisal attacks, destruction of property and other acts of violence.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Ibrahim Zungura, also urged residents of Ile-Ife and other parts of the state to cooperate with investigators and provide useful information that could assist the probe.
The police said they remained committed to protecting lives and property and maintaining public order.
A Pattern Beyond Election Day
Although Oyeyemi’s killing was linked to a motor park leadership dispute, the continuing violence has raised fresh questions about whether the tensions surrounding the August 15 election have now spilled beyond polling centres into communities and motor parks.
The PUNCH recently warned that the post-election killings in Osun could persist unless security agencies take stronger action. It noted that violence has repeatedly accompanied political contests in the state and argued that unresolved political grievances, rivalry and control of public resources have contributed to the situation.
Arms Proliferation Raises Fears of Violent Political Culture
In an interview with Pinnacle Daily, Abiola Adegboyega Kolawole, Esq., said the reported proliferation of arms surrounding the Osun governorship election was alarming and raised concerns about whether electoral violence was becoming a dangerous pattern ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Kolawole warned that the greater danger lay in the emergence of a political culture in which arms, intimidation and violence could become accepted features of elections.
He said such a culture could encourage citizens and political actors to acquire weapons, organise private security structures and prepare for confrontation ahead of every election.
For now, the police have not established a definitive motive for Oyeyemi’s killing or publicly linked the shooting to the wider post-election violence.
The investigation is expected to determine whether the latest incident was strictly a motor-park leadership dispute or part of the broader cycle of violence that has followed the election.
Rafiyat Sadiq is a political, justice, and human rights reporter with Pinnacle Daily, known for fearless reporting and impactful storytelling. At Pinnacle Daily, she brings clarity and depth to issues shaping governance, democracy, and the protection of citizens’ rights.