Tension is mounting in Osun State following the killing of Accord Party chieftain, Olalekan Oyeyemi, popularly known as Emir Ajagungbade, as the police recover a second corpse from the Mayfair Motor Park in Ile-Ife.
The latest discovery brings to two the number of people confirmed dead in connection with Sunday’s violent clash at the motor park, further deepening concerns over the escalating crisis surrounding the leadership and control of transport unions in the state.
Oyeyemi was reportedly shot dead during a confrontation involving his group and another faction allegedly led by a National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) leader identified as Sibi. Initial reports linked the violence to a leadership tussle over control of the motor park and wider moves within the transport union.
The development has heightened attention on the NURTW leadership crisis, particularly amid reports that some union members were seeking to install Oyeyemi as the next chairman of the union in Osun.
Police Take Over Investigation
Confirming the recovery of the second corpse, the Osun State Police Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Ojelabi, said the body had been deposited at a morgue.
He disclosed that the Mayfair Motor Park had been shut following the violence and that the investigation had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for further investigation.
Ojelabi also urged individuals mentioned in connection with the incident to report themselves to the nearest police station instead of attempting to defend themselves through social media.
According to him, Commissioner of Police Ibrahim Zungura had assured that anyone found to have participated in the violence would be arrested and prosecuted, regardless of their position or status.
The police investigation comes after Governor Ademola Adeleke ordered security agencies to identify and arrest those responsible for Oyeyemi’s killing. The governor also directed the immediate vacation of motor parks by rival groups and announced plans to reintroduce a Park Management System across the state.
Emir Buried in Osogbo
Meanwhile, the remains of Oyeyemi were buried on Monday at his newly completed residence in the Agunbelewo area of Osogbo in accordance with traditional rites.
The burial was attended by close family members and traditional priests. Associates who accompanied his remains from the Osun State University Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, were reportedly kept outside while the traditional burial rites were performed.
Tension had earlier emerged at the hospital where Oyeyemi’s remains were kept. Suspected associates of the deceased reportedly attacked two hospital workers after accusing them of recording proceedings with their mobile phones.
The situation was eventually brought under control following the arrival of additional police operatives.
Commissioner Denies Government Endorsement
Amid the controversy, the Osun State Commissioner for Transportation, Sesan Oyedele, denied allegations that he had summoned NURTW leaders to his residence in Modakeke and announced that the state government had endorsed Oyeyemi as the next chairman of the union.
Two NURTW leaders in Ile-Ife, identified as Gbadagesin and Kazeem Akeem, had made the allegation in videos circulated on social media.
Oyedele, however, described the claim as misleading. He explained that the union leaders had requested a meeting with him and subsequently visited his residence on Sunday morning.
According to the commissioner, the visitors informed him that they had agreed to support Oyeyemi for the NURTW chairmanship and wanted his backing.
Oyedele said he told them he would present their position to Governor Adeleke, the Chief of Staff and other relevant government officials when the governor returned to the state.
He stressed that the meeting ended without any endorsement of Oyeyemi by the state government.
The commissioner added that he was informed of Oyeyemi’s killing approximately two hours after the union members left his residence.
Adeleke Moves to Restore Order
Governor Adeleke has maintained that the government will not allow the crisis to escalate. Following the killing, he directed the police to arrest all those involved and ordered security agencies to restore normalcy across affected motor parks.
The governor also announced plans to establish a Park Management System, saying the measure would restore discipline and orderliness in motor parks and garages across Osun State.
With the recovery of a second corpse and the investigation now before the SCID, attention has shifted to the police to unravel the circumstances surrounding the violence, identify those responsible and determine the full extent of the clash.
Authorities have appealed to residents to remain calm as investigations continue, while the police have warned anyone connected to the incident against using social media as a substitute for reporting to law enforcement.
The latest development has further intensified calls for a lasting solution to the leadership disputes within the state’s transport sector, as security agencies work to prevent further violence.
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