By John Dike, Osogbo
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State has raised alarm over alleged rising cases of brazen, politically motivated and extra-judicial killings in the state, warning that the development poses a serious threat to public peace and democratic governance.
In a statement by its Director of Media and Information, Mr. Kola Olabisi, the party alleged that the killings were being orchestrated by desperate and disgruntled politicians seeking to intimidate the opposition and create an uneven political playing field ahead of the forthcoming governorship election in the state.
Olabisi recalled that a similar pattern of violence was witnessed in 2022 under the then Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) administration, which he claimed resulted in the gruesome killing of about 30 APC members and supporters across the state.
According to him, no fewer than 17 of the victims were murdered in the Ijesaland area alone.
The APC spokesperson said the party was particularly alarmed by the recent killing of one of its members shortly after the 87th birthday celebration of former Governor and founding national chairman of the APC, Chief Bisi Akande, held in Ila-Orangun.
The victim, Mr. Lateef Ajitoba, was identified as the driver to the Osun APC Assistant Organising Secretary, Alhaji Rasheed Adeniji, who also serves as a personal aide to Chief Akande. Olabisi explained that Ajitoba, who was actively involved during the birthday event, had been released by his employer to return home for rest.
He said concern was raised when Ajitoba failed to arrive home, prompting family members to contact his employer, only to discover that he had been released the previous evening. A subsequent search, he said, led to the discovery of Ajitoba’s mangled body bearing multiple axe wounds, dumped in a gutter along Oke-Ogbun, Osogbo Road, Ila-Orangun.
Noting that efforts by the family to identify the perpetrators have so far proved futile, Olabisi said the party strongly believes the killing was politically motivated, citing its timing and location on a day when APC leaders and supporters from across the country gathered in Ila-Orangun to honour Chief Akande.
The APC also expressed concern over another killing reported on Sunday evening in Osogbo, involving Mr. Kazeem Oyebamiji, a former unit chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in the state.
According to Olabisi, graphic images of Oyebamiji’s corpse circulating on social media showed that he was stripped naked, with his head smashed—apparently with hard objects—and his body dumped in a gutter.
He further alleged that the suspected killers of Oyebamiji were individuals close to the corridors of power in the state and had previously been declared wanted by the police in connection with past political killings.
He claimed that the suspects were allegedly taking advantage of undue immunity and the security around the state government residence to evade arrest.
Olabisi also recalled the killing of another NURTW leader and APC sympathiser, Mr. Adeboye Ademoroti, who was murdered on November 27, 2025, at the Olomilagbala area of Ilesa by yet-to-be-identified assailants.
The APC condemned what it described as a resurgence of extra-judicial political killings reminiscent of the violent episodes of 2022 and 2023, warning that such acts could destabilise the state and undermine democratic processes.
The party called on the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies to urgently strengthen their operations to ensure that all perpetrators and their sponsors are arrested and prosecuted.
Olabisi warned that those who believe electoral victory can be achieved through violence should rethink their strategy, stressing that the political landscape in Osun State has changed.
