Residents of Esa-Oke in Osun State were thrown into chaos on Monday after unidentified gunmen launched an attack, leaving several residents and seven police officers injured.
According to eyewitness accounts, the assailants, dressed in black and arriving in a bus, opened fire on people in the community.
While some sources, speaking anonymously for fear of reprisal, suggested that the attackers were hired thugs linked to an ongoing dispute over the appointment of a new monarch for Ido Ajegunle, the exact motive remains unclear.
The Osun State Police Command Public Relations Officer, Yemisi Opalola, confirmed the attack, revealing that the police officers were ambushed while responding to a distress call.
“Seven police officers were shot. One of them was hit in the neck. They were going to Esa Oke when they ran into a barricade. They alighted and were removing the barricade when some people started firing at them. One of them was hit in the neck. But we have deployed more men to the area,” Opalola stated.
The crisis stems from the Osun State Government’s recent appointment of Prince Timileyin Oluyemi Ajayi, a United Kingdom-based information and telecommunications expert, as the new Olojudo of Ido Ajegunle.
His selection was met with resistance from Esa-Oke indigenes, who insist that Ido Ajegunle is a village under the authority of the Owamiran of Esa-Oke, Oba Adeyemi Adediran.
They also argue that Ajayi, being from Ilesa, is not a rightful candidate for the throne.
Tensions flared further on Friday when Esa-Oke residents staged a peaceful protest against the appointment.
However, the situation took a violent turn on Monday when armed individuals, traveling in a bus towards the Esa-Oke Police Divisional Headquarters, allegedly opened fire on bystanders.
Videos shared by residents showed victims drenched in blood, with at least five people suffering gunshot wounds.
A resident, Oladele, linked the attack to the lingering kingship dispute.
“Those that shot people are suspected hoodlums travelling in a bus. They were heading towards Esa Oke Police Divisional Headquarters on Monday when they fired shots at people.
“The shooting is not unconnected with the appointment of an indigene of Ilesa as the new monarch for Ido Ajegunle, a village under Esa Oke. There was a protest by Esa Oke indigenes after the state government made the announcement,” he said.
In response to the violence, operatives from the Amotekun Corps and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps have been deployed to restore order.
Osun State Amotekun spokesperson Yusuf Idowu and NSCDC representative Kehinde Adeleke both confirmed the security reinforcement.
As the dispute over the new monarch’s appointment deepens, residents remain on edge, fearing further escalation.
