- They were attempting to take over when armed men, believed to be loyal to the PDP, stormed the area to evict them.
The chairman of Irewole Local Government Area in Osun State, Mr. Remi Abass, has reportedly been shot dead in the ongoing unrest in the State
Abass, who was one of the reinstated local government chairmen, was allegedly killed by armed men linked to the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Abass met his end while he and other local government officials, who had been dismissed but reinstated by a recent court ruling, were attempting to take control of the council’s secretariat in Ikire.
The incident on Monday morning degenerated into a all-out melee when Abass led a group of former local government officials to the secretariat.
They were attempting to take over when armed men, believed to be loyal to the PDP, stormed the area to evict them. Gunshots were fired during the pandemonium, and tragically, Abass was killed. Several others were injured in the attack.
The situation escalated further when the armed moved to the highway, shooting into the air and causing panic and apprehension in the community. Motorists were forced to find alternate routes to avoid getting caught in the gunfire.
A source familiar with the incident said, “The thugs came out from the building opposite the secretariat, carrying guns. They specifically targeted the council chairman, surrounding him and not letting him escape before killing him.”
In a separate report, the Commissioner for Protocol and Government Affairs in the state, Mr. Soji Ajeigbe, claimed that two members of the PDP, Ege and Igara, were also killed by armed men allegedly linked to the APC. Ajeigbe said, “Apart from those killed, six others lost their lives while trying to take control of the secretariat. The bodies have been moved to the morgue, and the injured are currently receiving treatment in the hospital.”
This incident is the fallout of the ongoing political crisis in the state, with both the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the PDP laying claims to the control of the local government.
The APC insists that a recent Court of Appeal decision has reinstated the sacked council chairmen and councillors, while the Osun State Government argues that the Federal High Court in Osogbo had already nullified the election.
The governor of the state, Ademola Adeleke, had on Sunday convened a press conference where he accused his predecessor and minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, of plotting to instigate mayhem in the state.
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