Wednesday, August 12, 2026 - About five people have been killed within 12 hours in Ilesa, Osun State, in a cult clash and reprisal attack involving suspected rival cult groups at two locations in the town.
According to Punch, the first incident, which led to the
loss of three lives, occurred around Imo Area of Ilesa at about 8 pm on Monday,
when some suspected members of the Aiye and Eiye confraternities engaged in
violent clashes.
The state police command, while confirming the incident,
said three people lost their lives to the clashes.
In a statement by the command’s Public Relations Officer,
Abiodun Ojelabi, obtained in Osogbo on Tuesday, he said upon receipt of a
distress call from the area, the Commissioner of Police in charge of the 2026
Osun State governorship election, Samuel Etaifo, directed the deployment of
operatives of the Violence Crime Response Unit to the scene of the crime.
However, in another incident of killing which occurred at
Igbogi/Ikoti Area of the town around 8 am on Tuesday, two male adults were
confirmed dead, while one female and a male sustained gunshot injuries and were
hospitalised.
Giving an update on the security situation in Ilesa,
especially the Ikoti/Igbogi killings, Ojelabi, in a telephone conversation with
our correspondent, said from the available information, the incident was a
reprisal by a suspected rival cult group.
He added that the CP in charge of the election visited the
scenes of the crime on Tuesday and gave marching orders to the Divisional
Police Officers in charge of the areas to fish out the perpetrators.
Three men and a woman were attacked, making it four. Two men
were confirmed dead at the hospital, while a man and a woman are currently
responding to treatment.
“The victims currently responding to treatment are Gbenga
Adedigba and Victoria Adediji. The names of the deceased are yet to be known.
“The killings occurred this morning, around 8 am, at Igbogi
Ikoti area of Ilesa. From the reports we have, this incident that happened
today has a link to the cult clash that occurred at Imo area of Ilesa yesterday
(on Monday),” Ojelabi said.
On how the incident happened, the PPRO further said, “We
just got the information that they were shooting sporadically at that place,
and police operatives moved in, where two lifeless bodies were seen, and others
were severely injured and were taken to a hospital for treatment.
“No arrests yet, but the CP election went there today, and
he has directed the DPO and the Area Commander to make sure they do the
needful.”
Meanwhile, security agencies that will be on duty during the
Saturday’s governorship election on Tuesday moved round selected communities in
the state in a show of strength ahead of the poll.
The long convoy, which has soldiers, Navy, Airforce,
operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Department of State
Services, led by the CP election, Samuel Etaifo, moved from Osogbo to Ilesha,
Ile-Ife, Modakeke and Ede.
Speaking on the development, Ojelabi said it was aimed at
sending a warning signal to anyone planning a criminal act ahead of Saturday’s
election.
“The show of strength was not to scare people away from
coming out to vote. It is to make them have confidence that we are here to
protect them.
“On that day, we are not going to harm anybody. They should
be free to come out and vote. It is for their own protection.
“The CP election led the operation himself. The military
were on the ground – Army, Navy, and the Air Force. The Civil Defence and all
other sister agencies. All hands were on deck,” he said.
Ojelabi further said, “We moved directly to Ilesa, and on
entering Ilesa, we went to Imo, where the first incident happened. The CP met
with some family of the victims, pacified them and assured them that those
behind this would be apprehended.
“From there, we went to the scene of the second incident,
which is Igbogi Ikoti. They also visited some other parts of Ilesa before going
to Ife, Modakeke and Ede. We moved this morning around 9 am, and we came back
around 6 pm.”
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