The Osun State Police Command has arrested the state Commissioner for Environment, Mayowa Anjorin, and an operative of the Osun State Security Network Agency, Amotekun, over the shooting that disrupted the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship campaign rally in Ilesa on Saturday.
The incident occurred around 9:30am in the Isokun area of Ilesa as APC members and supporters were marching to the party’s secretariat after an early morning rally.
Three persons — Tobi Ilesanmi, Wasiu Alanide and Aderemi Adedeji — sustained gunshot injuries and were rushed to a hospital, where they are receiving treatment.
In a statement on Saturday, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, said the suspected gunmen, allegedly led by Anjorin, arrived at the area in a vehicle and opened fire sporadically around the venue of the political activity.
He said some of the suspects were reportedly dressed in Amotekun uniforms.
According to Ojelabi, some members of the public pursued the fleeing suspects and apprehended some of them.
He added that one of the suspected Amotekun operatives allegedly pulled out a knife and attempted to attack those who caught up with them, allowing him to escape.
Ojelabi said operatives of the Force Intelligence Department-Intelligence Response Team (FID-IRT), acting on information about the incident, mobilised to the area and sighted a Lexus vehicle with registration number ABJ-89TS.
He said an individual identified as an Amotekun operative, Odeyemi Abimbiola, was found inside the vehicle allegedly in possession of a pump-action firearm.
The vehicle and its occupants were subsequently arrested and transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for questioning and further investigation.
The police spokesperson said preliminary investigation identified one of the occupants as Anjorin, the Commissioner for Environment.
The Command also acknowledged allegations linking another individual, Hon. Wale Akerele, to the incident but stressed that the claim remained under investigation.
“No individual should be presumed guilty until the investigation establishes otherwise,” the police said.
The police said four spent cartridges and an Amotekun cap were recovered at the scene.
According to the Command, the investigation will establish the circumstances surrounding the shooting, identify all those involved, determine the source and ownership of the firearms allegedly used and establish the level of involvement of each person connected with the incident.
The Command urged political parties, candidates, their supporters and members of the public to remain calm and refrain from taking the law into their own hands.
Credit: thenationonlineng.net
