Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has issued an Executive Order establishing a Coroner Inquest and Panel of Inquiry into the killings, shootings, injuries, and violence reported at Naira and Kobo Junction, Motor Park Area, Ikire, in the Irewole Local Government Area of the state, on August 24, 2026.
The Executive Order, which takes effect on August 31, 2026, mandates the panel to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident, determine the identities and number of victims, establish the immediate and remote causes of the violence, and examine whether criminal responsibility is connected to the deaths.
According to a statement by the governor’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, Magistrate Ayokunle Shiyanbola has been appointed chairman of the coroner’s inquest, while Mr. Abiodun Badiora will serve as secretary.
Other members of the panel are AIG Aderanti Kayode, retired; a representative of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mr. Dele Akintayo; a representative of Civil Society Organisations, Comrade Wale Balogun; a community representative from Ikire; and Dr. Babatunde Afolabi, who will serve as the Medical and Forensic Representative.
The panel is mandated to determine the circumstances leading to the shootings and killings, examine the role of security operatives, and establish whether live ammunition or other weapons were used and whether their use complied with the law, rules of engagement, and human rights standards.
It is also empowered to identify any individual, group, security personnel, political actor, transport union member, public official, or other person whose actions or omissions may have contributed to the incident.
The statement says the panel may recommend prosecution, disciplinary measures, compensation for victims, and institutional reforms to prevent a recurrence.
The inquiry will have the power to summon witnesses, demand relevant police and medical records, inspect the scene of the incident and other relevant locations, receive oral and documentary evidence, and recommend protective measures for witnesses and persons at risk of intimidation or retaliation.
Governor Adeleke has also directed the preservation of firearms and ammunition records, station diaries, communication logs, incident reports, duty rosters, medical records, autopsy reports, photographs, videos, and other materials relevant to the inquiry.
The Executive Order further calls for appropriate measures to protect witnesses and victims’ families, obtain medical and forensic documentation, and maintain peace in Ikire pending the conclusion of the inquiry.
The Governor has also requested the Inspector-General of Police, the Police Service Commission, and the Osun State Commissioner of Police to take appropriate interim administrative measures concerning any police officer whose continued operational command may prejudice the inquiry or affect public confidence.
The Executive Order states that no person found culpable shall be shielded from justice, irrespective of status, office, political connection, or institutional affiliation, while stressing that all allegations remain allegations until established by credible evidence before the Coroner Inquest/Panel.
The panel is expected to commence sitting within seven days of its inauguration and submit its final report to the Osun State Government within 30 days of its first sitting, subject to any necessary extension approved by the governor.
Meanwhile, the state government has invited victims’ families, eyewitnesses, journalists, transport workers, police officers, medical personnel, civil society organisations, political parties, community leaders, human rights activists, and other concerned persons to submit memoranda and evidence to the panel.
Packaged by Lanre Olabisi
