ESA-OKE, Nigeria – One person has been shot dead and another critically injured following a violent attack in Esa-Oke, Obokun Local Government Area of Osun State.
The deceased was identified as a supporter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and a nephew of Hon. Oluwole Oke, the Director-General of the Osun APC Campaign Council and a member of the House of Representatives.
A second resident who sustained serious gunshot wounds during the Wednesday assault remains in critical condition in a medical facility.
Police Confirm Incident as Party Officials Trade Accusations
Confirming the fatality, the Public Relations Officer of the Osun State Police Command, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, stated that law enforcement officers are aware of the shooting in Esa-Oke.
However, he declined to offer immediate comments regarding the specific circumstances or operational findings surrounding the attack.
The incident has sparked sharp political exchanges across the state. Addressing journalists, the spokesperson for the APC Campaign Council, Oluremi Omowaye, attributed the violence to members of rival political parties, claiming that the victims were targeted simply for wearing APC-branded caps.
“It is sad that we are being killed while the governor is playing the victim’s card. As I speak, we have lost about 40 of our members, and nothing has been done to stop this,” Omowaye alleged.
Omowaye added that three other APC members were simultaneously attacked in separate violent encounters across Atakumosa East Local Government Area of the state.
State Government Denies Involvement
Reacting to the allegations, the Osun State Commissioner for Information, Kolapo Alimi, forcefully debunked claims linking opposition elements or state-aligned political actors to the violence.
Alimi described the assertions as unsubstantiated, framing the allegations as an intentional attempt to blackmail the Accord Party and discredit political opponents.
Meanwhile, security operatives have intensified patrols in Obokun and Atakumosa East local government areas to prevent reprisals, maintain public peace, and track down the perpetrators of the shootings.
