The Osun State Police Command has arrested five suspects in connection with the killing of a 14-year-old boy, Olapade Ezekiel, during a shooting incident in Ilobu, Osun State.
The police said investigations were ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and determine the individual roles of those involved.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, disclosed this in a statement on Friday, adding that sustained investigative efforts led to the arrest of the suspects.
According to the statement, the incident occurred on June 21, 2026, at about 3.30 p.m. at a palm-wine shop along Council Road, beside the headquarters of Irepodun Local Government Area in Ilobu.
The deceased’s father, Olugbenga Olapade, reportedly lodged a complaint at the Ilobu Police Division at about 5 p.m. on the same day.
The statement said Ezekiel was at the shop with his parent and some customers when a group of people allegedly arrived in a Sienna bus and began shooting sporadically.
The teenager sustained gunshot injuries and later died, while another person, identified as Matthew John, popularly known as Mofoto, also sustained gunshot injuries.
The command said its operatives launched an investigation and pursued the suspects, who allegedly moved between different locations to evade arrest.
The five suspects were identified as Saheed Kareem, 32, also known as Tanfiani; Ismail Yekeen, 24, aka Asumo Ayan; Abass Afeez, 32, aka SS Abass; Salako Taofeek, 30, aka Fenuso; and Barrister Abdulrauf Ogunshola.
According to the police, the suspects confessed to participating in the crime, while further investigations identified Taofeek as the alleged person who fired the fatal shot.
The statement added that other suspects identified Taofeek as the person who shot the teenager during the incident.
It further stated that Taofeek identified a man known as Alaagba, who is currently at large, as the alleged armourer and custodian of the firearm used in the operation.
The police said efforts were ongoing to apprehend the fleeing suspect for possible prosecution.
The command, however, stressed that the investigation was being conducted professionally and impartially, adding that the circumstances surrounding the incident and the roles of the suspects would be determined through evidence and other investigative processes.
It said credible evidence, forensic findings and other investigative procedures would guide the determination of the individual responsibility of those involved.
The police assured the public that the investigation would continue until all those connected with the incident had been accounted for.
