Police probe Ilesa rally shooting, detain commissioner, Amotekun operative
By Deborah Oladejo, Osogbo –
The Osun State Police Command said it has commenced an investigation into a shooting incident during a political party procession in Ilesa, which left three persons injured.
The command also said it had taken into custody the Commissioner for Environment, Hon. Mayowa Anjorin, and an Amotekun operative identified as Odeyemi Abimbola, following preliminary investigations into the incident.
The injured persons were identified as Tobi Ilesanmi, Wasiu Alanide and Aderemi Adedeji. The police said they were taken to a hospital, where they are currently receiving medical treatment.
In a statement by the command’s spokesperson, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, the police said the incident occurred when some suspected armed men alighted from a vehicle with registration number OSHA 04 and allegedly “fired sporadically in the vicinity of the political procession”.
The police said some members of the public pursued the fleeing suspects and caught up with some of them. It added that one of the suspected Amotekun operatives allegedly produced a knife and attempted to use it against those who apprehended them before escaping.
Following the incident, operatives of the FID-IRT mobilised to the area and sighted a Lexus vehicle with registration number ABJ-89TS. An individual identified as an Amotekun operative was reportedly found inside the vehicle with a pump-action firearm.
The command added that allegations linking certain individuals, including Hon. Wale Akerele, to the incident were also being investigated, stressing that no individual should be presumed guilty until the investigation establishes otherwise.
Items recovered at the scene, according to the police, included four spent cartridges and an Amotekun cap. The command said the investigation would establish the circumstances surrounding the incident, identify all persons involved, determine the source and ownership of the firearms allegedly used, and ascertain the respective levels of involvement of those connected to the incident.
