The Chairman of the Accord Party in Osogbo Local Government Area of Osun State, Asimiyu Ajibola, popularly known as Baba Isila, has been hospitalised after sustaining gunshot wounds in an attack by suspected gunmen in Osogbo on Wednesday night.
The attack, which reportedly occurred around 9:50 p.m. near the Community Bank axis of the MDS area of Osogbo, threw residents into panic as the assailants allegedly opened fire on the vehicle conveying Ajibola and his associates.
According to accounts from survivors, the gunmen chased the victims’ blue Toyota Corolla and fired multiple shots at the vehicle in what was described as a commando-style operation.
One of the occupants of the vehicle, who recounted the incident, said they were returning from the MDS area when the attackers suddenly emerged and began shooting at them.
“We were coming from the MDS area of Osogbo at about 9:50 p.m. when gun-wielding men chased us and released a volley of bullets at our vehicle. We managed to escape to the Dugbe Divisional Police Headquarters, where we sought protection before the assailants retreated,” the survivor said.
He added that the incident was immediately reported to the police, while Ajibola, who sustained serious injuries during the attack, was rushed to the University of Osun Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, for treatment.
Sources said the Accord chairman narrowly escaped death but remains in critical condition at the hospital.
Reacting to the incident, the Osun State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Oluomo Kolapo Alimi, condemned the attack and called on security agencies to ensure that those responsible are identified and prosecuted.
Describing the incident as unfortunate, Alimi urged the police to carry out a thorough and professional investigation without fear or favour.
“It is an unfortunate incident which should not be allowed to go uninvestigated. The culprits must be brought to book,” he said.
The commissioner further noted that preliminary indications suggested possible political undertones, stressing the need for law enforcement authorities to unravel the circumstances surrounding the attack.
“We are therefore calling on the police to carry out their investigation professionally, without fear or favour, in unearthing the masterminds of the attack, which from all available indices has elements of political coloration,” Alimi stated.
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