By John Dike , Osogbo
Suspected gunmen have killed a security guard, identified as Sunday Adedeji, popularly known as Portable, during an overnight attack on a filling station operated under the BOVAS franchise in Ikire, Irewole Local Government Area of Osun State.
The assailants were also said to have broken into the station’s supermarket and carted away goods and valuables worth millions of naira during the incident.
The Senate Deputy Minority Leader, Senator Lere Oyewumi, who condemned the killing, described the attack as barbaric and called on security agencies to launch an immediate investigation to apprehend those responsible
Oyewumi’s position was conveyed in a statement issued by his media office on Saturday.
According to the statement, the deceased was performing his duty as a security guard when the armed men invaded the premises and murdered him.
The media office disclosed that the attack was not the first attempt to target the establishment, alleging that some armed men had attempted to burgle the facility and attack the same security guard days before the August 15 Osun governorship election.
It said Adedeji narrowly escaped death during the earlier incident after fleeing for safety, adding that the matter was formally reported to the police.
The statement expressed sadness that the earlier threat had eventually culminated in the guard’s death, describing the development as a tragic loss of a man who was simply trying to earn an honest living.
It further described Adedeji as a dedicated, courageous and hardworking individual whose death had left painful questions about the safety of lives and property in the state.
The senator’s media office urged the Nigeria Police Force and other relevant security agencies to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the killing and ensure that the perpetrators were brought to justice.
It also called for strengthened security measures across Osun State to prevent further attacks on businesses and protect residents from criminal activities.
“The blood of late Sunday Adedeji cries out for justice; the perpetrators of this barbaric act must be brought to account under the full wrath of the law,” the statement said.
The killing has renewed concerns over the security of commercial establishments and the protection of personnel entrusted with safeguarding businesses, particularly at night.
