By Jimmy Fatunbi
The Osun State Police Command has recovered another corpse from the premises of the Mayfair Motor Park in Ile-Ife, bringing the death toll from Sunday’s shooting incident at the park to two.
The development came as the remains of Olalekan Oyeyemi, a chieftain of the Accord Party in Osun State popularly known as Emir Ajagungbade, were buried on Monday at his newly completed residence in the Agunbelewo area of Osogbo.
Oyeyemi was reportedly shot dead on Sunday during a clash involving him and a group led by another leader of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, identified as Sibi, at the Mayfair Motor Park.
A video circulating on social media showed the deceased lying face down in a pool of blood inside a vehicle shortly after the incident.
The state governor, Ademola Adeleke, subsequently confirmed Oyeyemi’s death in a statement issued by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed. The governor directed the Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Zungura, to identify and arrest those responsible for the killing.
The incident has also been linked to moves by some members of the transport union to install Oyeyemi as the next Osun State chairman of the NURTW.
Giving an update on Monday, the state police spokesperson, Abiodun Ojelabi, said the Mayfair Motor Park had been shut down following the violence.
He said the police had recovered another corpse from the scene and deposited it at the morgue.
According to him, the case had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation.
Ojelabi urged individuals being mentioned in connection with the incident to report themselves to the nearest police station rather than engaging in self-defence on social media.
He added that the Commissioner of Police had assured that everyone found to be involved in the incident would be arrested and prosecuted, regardless of their status.
Meanwhile, traditional burial rites were performed for Oyeyemi at his residence in Agunbelewo, with close family members and traditional priests in attendance.
His associates, who accompanied his remains from the Osun State University Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, were reportedly asked to remain outside the premises while the traditional rites were conducted.
Tension had earlier risen at the hospital following an alleged attack on two hospital workers by suspected associates of the deceased. The workers were reportedly attacked after they were discovered recording the proceedings with their mobile phones.
When PUNCH Metro visited the hospital on Monday, additional police vehicles conveying operatives had arrived at the facility, helping to restore calm.
Commissioner Denies Endorsing Oyeyemi for NURTW Chairmanship
Meanwhile, the Osun State Commissioner for Transportation, Sesan Oyedele, has denied allegations that he summoned NURTW leaders to his residence in Modakeke on Sunday and told them that the state government had endorsed Oyeyemi as the next chairman of the union.
Two NURTW leaders in Ile-Ife, identified as Gbadagesin and Kazeem Akeem, had made the allegation in videos circulated on social media.
Oyedele, however, dismissed the claim, saying the individuals who spoke about the meeting were not present when the issue of the union’s chairmanship was discussed.
According to the commissioner, the transport union members visited him after informing him that they had agreed to support Oyeyemi’s candidacy for the NURTW chairmanship.
He said he only promised to present their position to Governor Adeleke, the Chief of Staff and other relevant officials when the governor returned to the state.
Oyedele said the union leaders visited his residence around 9am on Sunday, adding that he was informed about two hours after their departure that Oyeyemi had been killed.
He appealed to residents to remain calm, assuring them that efforts were underway to resolve the crisis.
