Gunfire tore through three Osun communities on Tuesday, leaving at least one person dead. Multiple others sustained injuries in the coordinated attacks.
Violence erupted in Ile-Ife, Ede, and Osogbo as shots rang out across several neighborhoods. Frightened residents fled to safety as pandemonium gripped the affected areas.
Governor Ademola Adeleke visited injured victims at UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital in Osogbo. He condemned what he called a deliberate attempt to destabilize the state.
Speaking to journalists before his hospital visit, Adeleke traced the violence's path. According to him, attacks began in Ile-Ife's Sabo area, then spread south.
"The assailants jumped down and shot sporadically," the governor told reporters. He said the attackers used a 15-vehicle convoy branded with AMBO imagery.
Adeleke claimed the gunmen targeted multiple locations in succession. They hit Akoda, Aisu junction, Owode, Olaiya, Old Garage, Oke Fia, and areas near Government House.
He identified the attackers as thugs called Aleba and Asiri. The governor alleged they were mobilized by APC Governorship candidate Bola Oyebamiji's supporters.
"Several residents were feared injured and even one or two people killed," Adeleke stated. He expressed deep frustration with the deteriorating security situation.
According to the governor, state police failed to intervene. "The police command has not raised a finger to stop the attacks," he said.
Adeleke blamed former Governor Gboyega Oyetola, now Minister of Marine and Blue Economy. He also pointed fingers at the APC and its campaign machinery.
He appealed directly to President Bola Tinubu to intervene. Adeleke called on the National Security Adviser and Inspector-General of Police to act urgently.
The DSS Director-General should also focus on Osun's security crisis, he added. All relevant agencies needed to step up immediately, the governor insisted.
Osun's APC rejected these accusations entirely. The party's Governorship Campaign Council issued a sharp rebuttal on Tuesday evening.
In a statement, Oluremi Omowaiye, the campaign council's media chief, flipped the narrative. He alleged that PDP and Accord supporters attacked APC campaign buses instead.
The incident occurred in the Owode-Ede area, according to the council. Several APC supporters were hurt, and campaign materials were destroyed.
"Campaign buses belonging to the APC were attacked and vandalised," Omowaiye's statement read. He called these actions orchestrated violence by the ruling alliance.
The APC demanded urgent action from law enforcement. They specifically called for investigation and arrests of those responsible for the Owode-Ede destruction.
Omowaiye also referenced violence in Osogbo earlier that day. He urged security agencies to tackle what he termed a "rising tide of political violence."
Both camps now trade serious blame for Tuesday's bloodshed. Each side claims victimhood while accusing the other of orchestrating mayhem.
Security remains the paramount concern for Osun residents. The state heads toward crucial elections amid escalating political tensions.
