Gunmen have reportedly killed the recently reinstated Chairman of Irewole Local Government, Remi Abass, in Osun State.
According to SaharaReporters, the attack took place on Monday as the chairman arrived at the local government secretariat with his supporters, where they were ambushed by armed men believed to be thugs.
In the aftermath, SaharaReporters has learned that security operatives from the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services (DSS) have arrested several suspected thugs allegedly involved in the chaos.
Attempts to contact the Osun State Police spokesperson, SP Opalola Yemisi, went unanswered, both by phone and in a message.
It is important to note that Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke had previously raised concerns about an alleged plot by the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, to incite unrest in the state.
Adeleke accused Oyetola of issuing unlawful directives to security operatives in an attempt to enforce the illegal reinstatement of sacked local government chairmen.
During a press conference on Sunday, the governor alleged that Oyetola, in collusion with the Osun State Commissioner of Police, the Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Commandant of the Civil Defence Corps, was leveraging his relationship as President Bola Tinubu’s nephew to pursue unlawful actions.
Adeleke asserted that President Tinubu, whom he characterised as a true democrat, would never endorse activities that could lead to bloodshed.
He warned that Oyetola’s alleged plan, set to commence on Monday, threatened to plunge Osun into chaos.
“The nefarious plot is being orchestrated by Mr. Gboyega Oyetola in active collaboration with security agencies. He is issuing illegal directives solely because he is the President’s nephew,” Adeleke stated.
The governor clarified that the local government chairmen in question had been dismissed by two Federal High Court rulings before he took office and dismissed allegations that his administration was responsible for their removal.
He urged President Tinubu and the public to intervene to prevent what he termed an abuse of power that could destabilise Osun State.
“We view this as a gross betrayal of the trust placed in Osun state security officers by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” Adeleke concluded.
