Gunmen have killed the recently reinstated Chairman of Irewole Local Government, Remi Abass, in Osun State.
The attack occurred on Monday when Abass arrived at the local government secretariat alongside his supporters.
According to sources, armed men suspected to be political thugs ambushed them, opening fire and causing chaos.
Security operatives from the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services (DSS) have since arrested several suspected thugs allegedly involved in the unrest.
Efforts to reach the Osun State Police spokesperson, SP Opalola Yemisi, for comments were unsuccessful, as she neither answered calls nor responded to messages.
The killing comes amid heightened political tension in Osun State. Governor Ademola Adeleke had recently raised concerns about an alleged plot by the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, to destabilize the state.
Adeleke accused Oyetola of using his influence as President Bola Tinubu’s nephew to direct security operatives to enforce the controversial reinstatement of sacked local government chairmen.
At a press conference on Sunday, Adeleke warned of potential bloodshed, stating:
“The evil plot is being spearheaded by Mr. Gboyega Oyetola in active collaboration with security agencies. He is issuing illegal directives simply because he is the President’s nephew.”
The governor stressed that the local government chairmen were removed based on two Federal High Court judgments before he assumed office, dismissing claims that his administration orchestrated their removal.
He further urged President Tinubu and security agencies to intervene and prevent what he described as “an abuse of power that could plunge Osun into chaos.”
“We see this as a gross betrayal of the trust reposed in the Osun State security officers by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” Adeleke added.
