Palpable tension gripped Osogbo, the Osun State capital, on Wednesday afternoon after suspected hoodlums attacked the motorcade of Governor Ademola Adeleke shortly after his visit to the palace of the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji.
The incident reportedly triggered a gun battle between the assailants and security personnel attached to the governor, with the exchange of gunfire lasting between 12 and 15 minutes.
Adeleke had visited the Ataoja’s palace at about 3:15 p.m. after making a brief stop at the Osun State headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Osogbo.
The governor reportedly arrived at the palace in a convoy of about 20 vehicles and was received by the monarch.
According to eyewitness accounts, trouble started shortly after the meeting ended and the governor had boarded his vehicle through a private exit of the palace.
An eyewitness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said heavy gunfire suddenly erupted as the governor and his aides were preparing to leave.
“He was already in the bus that brought him and his close aides to the palace when we started hearing heavy gunshots,” the eyewitness said.
The source alleged that the attackers arrived in an unregistered Sienna space bus through the Ita Olokan area and opened fire at the governor’s convoy and the palace.
The security personnel attached to the governor reportedly engaged the assailants, forcing them to retreat before they fled the area.
A trader near the palace, identified as Munirat, said the incident appeared to have been premeditated, alleging that the attackers may have been waiting for the governor’s convoy.
“They came in a Sienna space bus. They even damaged the main gate to the palace. They shot at the palace main gate, but the security men pushed them back,” she said.
The gun battle reportedly forced traders, pedestrians and residents around the palace and adjoining commercial areas to flee for safety, bringing business activities to a standstill.
Munirat added that the attackers later engaged the governor’s security team around the Osogbo Central Mosque before fleeing towards Ita Olokan along the Osogbo-Ilesa Road.
The Osun State Government subsequently confirmed the attack but said Governor Adeleke was safe.
The Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, said the governor’s security personnel successfully repelled the attackers.
“They are hoodlums, and the governor’s security repelled them. They attacked the governor’s convoy at Ataoja’s palace. No casualty was recorded,” Alimi said.
Despite the government’s assurance, residents remained apprehensive following reports of sporadic gunshots around the Ita Olokan axis later in the afternoon.
Some businesses were reportedly shut as traders and residents sought safety while security operatives intensified patrols in the area.
Authorities have yet to establish the identity or motive of the attackers as of the time of filing this report.
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