17th February, 2025
Chaos erupted in Osun State on Monday, leaving five dead in a violent clash between political factions after an attempt to take control of local government secretariats.
The violence, sparked by the reinstallation of local government officials following a court ruling, saw political thugs from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) engaged in deadly gunfire and brutality.
Among the victims was Mr. Remi Abass, the former chairman of Irewole Local Government in Ikire, whose life was tragically cut short in the midst of the mayhem.
Alongside him, two others, Damilare Oloyede and Taye, were shot dead in the Boripe Local Government area of Iragbiji, reportedly by agents of the APC.
Osun’s Commissioner for Protocols and Governmental Affairs, Soji Ajeigbe, speaking from Iragbiji, accused APC agents of gunning down the PDP members in cold blood near the local government secretariat, deepening tensions in an already volatile situation.
Meanwhile, in a press briefing from the APC’s Osogbo secretariat, Alhaji Jamiu Olawumi confirmed the deaths of several of their members, including Remi Abass and a councillor from Olaoluwa Local Government, as well as another member from Isokan Local Government.
Olawumi slammed the PDP for the bloodshed, insisting that no fewer than 15 reinstated council chairmen attempted to assume office by 9 am, only to be chased out by PDP militants by 9:30 am.
The APC has vowed to stand firm, insisting that all reinstated party functionaries—reinstated by the Court of Appeal’s February 10 ruling—will continue to occupy their offices as ordered, despite the threats and violence.
Earlier in the day, an all-out brawl broke out across multiple local governments in Osun as council chairmen, backed by the court’s ruling, tried to resume office, sparking what became an uncontrollable bloodbath across the state.
