By John Dike, Osogbo
Senate Deputy Minority Leader, Senator Akogun Kamorudeen Lere Oyewumi, has dismissed allegations by the Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) linking him to violent incidents in the state, describing the claims as false, malicious and politically motivated.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the senator’s media office insisted that Oyewumi had never been invited, questioned or investigated by the Nigeria Police Force over the killing of any individual, stressing that attempts to drag his name into criminal matters through media propaganda would not alter the facts.
The statement said Oyewumi was attending plenary proceedings at the National Assembly in Abuja on the day the late Hon. Remi Abass was killed, adding that records of the proceedings could easily verify his whereabouts.
It further maintained that the senator’s political career had been built on hard work, consistency and commitment to public service, noting that he had won elections without violence and accepted defeat in the 2019 senatorial election without resorting to litigation.
“His conviction has always remained that no political ambition is worth the blood of any human being,” the statement said.
The senator’s office accused the APC and its governorship candidate, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, of attempting to divert public attention from the killing of 14-year-old Ezekiel Olopade in Ilobu, insisting that every loss of innocent life deserves condemnation and justice.
It urged political actors to focus on presenting programmes and seeking the mandate of the people through democratic means rather than encouraging actions capable of undermining peace and security.
The statement also said allegations concerning the use of branded vehicles during violent incidents and the identities of those involved should be subjected to thorough, impartial and professional investigations by security agencies.
Against the backdrop of what it described as growing public concerns over the handling of sensitive cases in Osun State, the office called on the Inspector-General of Police to consider the redeployment of the Osun State Commissioner of Police, CP Ibrahim Gotan, in order to restore public confidence in ongoing investigations and guarantee impartiality.
“The Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies must discharge their constitutional responsibilities professionally and without bias, ensuring that all acts of violence and criminality are thoroughly investigated and that those found culpable are brought to justice irrespective of political affiliation,” the statement added.
The media office also recalled several cases of violent deaths involving members and supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ikire over the years.
Among those mentioned were Aderemi Abideen Abiodun, popularly known as Ojubintin; Aderonbi Abass; Kolade Eluyera; Toheeb Bakare, popularly known as Yaba; and Adesile Seebu.
According to the statement, Ojubintin was murdered at his residence in Ori-Eru, Ikire, in 2022/2023, while Toheeb Bakare was shot dead at his car wash on February 17, 2025. It added that Adesile Seebu and Aderonbi Abass lost their lives in another violent attack on October 11, 2025.
The office further alleged that Kolade Eluyera, son of the Irewole Accord Women Leader, Mrs. Eluyera, was killed behind his mother’s residence on May 8, 2026. It also referred to reports of an attempted abduction of Hon. Lateef Sodiq, popularly known as “Akara,” who reportedly escaped with injuries.
Describing the incidents as painful scars on families and communities, the statement stressed the need for thorough and impartial investigations into all politically related killings and acts of violence, irrespective of the identities or affiliations of those involved.
It warned against what it called selective justice and selective sympathy, insisting that no individual or group should claim the moral high ground while ignoring the suffering and losses of others.
Reaffirming Senator Oyewumi’s commitment to peace, justice and democratic values, the media office stated that violence had no place in a civilized society and that anyone found culpable of criminal acts, regardless of political affiliation or status, should face the law.
It added that no amount of blackmail, propaganda or “desperate attempts at revisionism” could diminish Senator Oyewumi’s reputation as a peace-loving leader and servant of the people.
