Two Feared Killed As Rival Political Groups Clash

Two people were feared killed on Monday following a violent clash between rival political groups over the control of a motor park at Naira and Kobo Junction in Ikire, Osun State.

The incident reportedly occurred around 10:30am when some commercial drivers allegedly loyal to the Accord Party attempted to take control of the motor park, which had been dominated by drivers said to be sympathetic to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Videos and photographs obtained from the scene showed two men apparently dead.

In one of the videos, a man was seen sitting inside a vehicle with what appeared to be a deep wound on his head, while another photograph showed a man lying face down in a pool of blood.

An eyewitness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the violence started after suspected political thugs associated with the Accord Party arrived at the motor park and allegedly attempted to dislodge the group controlling the facility.

Another resident said the confrontation escalated after a member of the Accord Party was allegedly shot during the clash.
The resident said the development later prompted some Accord supporters to visit the palace of the Akire of Ikire, where they reportedly accused the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of involvement in the violence.

However, according to the resident, the police presented a different account of the incident during the meeting at the palace.

The conflicting accounts could not be independently verified as of the time of filing this report.

Efforts to obtain confirmation from the Osun State Police Command were unsuccessful, as calls to the Police Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Ojelabi, went unanswered.

The identities of the two people allegedly killed in the clash remained unknown, while the circumstances surrounding their reported deaths had yet to be established.

The incident comes amid heightened political tensions in Osun State following the recently concluded governorship election.