Gov Adeleke escapes assassination, as gunmen attack convoy in Osogbo

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

The convoy of Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke was, on Wednesday, shot at by gunmen suspected to be hoodlums shortly after his visit to the palace of the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji.
The governor, it was gathered, had arrived at the palace around 3:15pm in a convoy of about 20 vehicles after receiving his certificate of return from the Independent National Electoral Commission in Osogbo following his re-election at the weekend.
He was in the palace to present the certificate to the first class traditional ruler.
The attack reportedly triggered an exchange of gunfire between the assailants and the governor’s security aides, sending residents and traders in the area fleeing for safety.
The incident, eye witnesses said, occurred shortly after Adeleke concluded his meeting with the traditional ruler at the palace.
An eyewitness account indicated that the governor presented his Certificate of Return to the monarch during the visit and was preparing to leave when the shooting started.
Adeleke, according to the eye witness, had already entered a vehicle with some of his aides after leaving the palace hall through an exit used by the monarch and his wives when heavy gunfire erupted.
The eye witness said further that the suspected attackers arrived in an unregistered Sienna bus through the Ita Olokan axis of Osogbo.
The gun battle, it was learnt, lasted for between 12 and 15 minutes before Adeleke’s convoy eventually left the area, while the assailants fled.
The attackers were believed to have been aware of the governor’s visit as they allegedly positioned themselves in the area ahead of his arrival.
The assailants, it was gathered, damaged the palace’s main gate and fired at it before security personnel pushed them back.
The attackers, the account said,
later engaged the governor’s security team in another exchange of gunfire near the Osogbo Central Mosque before fleeing towards Ita Olokan along the Osogbo-Ilesa Road.
The incident reportedly caused panic, with traders and residents abandoning their businesses and running to safety.
The Osun State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, who confirmed the attack, stated that
the governor’s security personnel successfully repelled the attackers.
Alimi said that no casualty was recorded.
His words, “They are hoodlums, and the governor’s security repelled them. They attacked the governor’s convoy at Ataoja’s palace. No casualty”.

END