Osun 2026: Police arrest commissioner over APC rally gunshots as Adeleke alleges political intimidation

The Osun State Police Command has arrested the state Commissioner for Environment and Sanitation, Mayowa Adejoorin, in connection with a shooting incident that occurred during an All Progressives Congress (APC) rally in Ilesa on Saturday, August 8, 2026 .

The incident unfolded when APC supporters gathered for an early-morning rally in the Oke-Omiru area of Ilesa and were marching towards Isokun. According to police reports, a white Lexus 350 with registration number OSHAO4 was parked near the rally venue, and persons identified as Amotekun personnel emerged from the vehicle and fired shots sporadically, causing panic among rally attendees . Four persons were reportedly injured in the attack, including a 12-year-old boy, Tobi Ilesanmi, who was hit by a stray bullet on his thigh while inside his mother’s shop . Other victims identified include Adewale Akerele, Wasiu Aramide (said to be an APC member), and a truck driver simply identified as Mohammed . As at press time, no casualty had been recorded, and the injured victims were taken to the hospital for treatment . An eyewitness, Kola Adeoti, disclosed that personnel of a state-based security outfit who escorted Accord Party chieftains shot directly at APC members, which led to protests in Ilesa .

The Osun State Police Command’s spokesperson, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, confirmed the arrest, stating that tactical teams deployed to various locations responded to the incident . Ojelabi explained that officers intercepted the white Lexus 350 carrying an Amotekun operative and another passenger. On interrogation, it was discovered that the other occupant was Commissioner Adejoorin . The police said investigation had commenced to determine Adejoorin’s level of involvement in the incident . Ojelabi also noted that exhibits recovered at the scene included expended cartridges and Amotekun personnel caps .

The arrest has sparked strong opposition from the Imole Campaign Council, the campaign organisation of Governor Ademola Adeleke, who is seeking re-election under the Accord Party in the August 15 governorship poll . The council’s spokesperson, Pelumi Olajengbesi, addressed journalists at the Imole Media Centre in Osogbo, describing the arrest as deeply disturbing . Olajengbesi alleged that Adejoorin was arrested outside Ilesa while travelling to Osogbo and claimed the police were acting on the instruction of a federal lawmaker. He said the commissioner had earlier received a call from the lawmaker during which he was allegedly threatened with arrest . Olajengbesi stated that for some time now, they have witnessed a disturbing pattern in which prominent Accord leaders and supporters in Ijesaland are picked up by the Police on allegations that are apparently motivated by sinister political calculations, kept away from their families, communities and campaign activities, and thereby removed from circulation at a critical period of the electoral process .

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The campaign council further alleged that Commissioner Adejoorin was targeted because he rebuffed overtures to defect to the APC . Olajengbesi accused the APC of desperation in Ijesaland, suggesting that rather than face the people in a free and fair election, “these rejected political actors may be seeking to weaken the Accord Party’s structures by removing its leaders from the field” . The campaign council called on the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, to intervene and rein in the Osun State Police Command, particularly Commissioner of Police Ibrahim Gotan . The council demanded answers on the basis for Adejoorin’s arrest, asking what offence he had committed, what evidence existed against him, why his arrest was carried out in such a manner, and why the Police appeared increasingly willing to deploy its powers only against Accord political leaders at this critical moment in the democratic process . Olajengbesi declared that they demanded the immediate release of Hon Mayowa Adejoorin, as they believed there was no lawful and credible basis for his abduction and detention . The campaign council also alleged that 62 members of the Accord Party are currently facing detention across various facilities nationwide .

The arrest of Adejoorin follows a recent pattern of high-profile detentions of officials linked to Governor Adeleke’s administration. Days earlier, the Secretary to the Osun State Government (SSG), Teslim Igbalaye, was arrested and detained by police over alleged vote-buying activities, with the police claiming to have recovered N4.81 million and electoral materials from a residence linked to him . The political tension in Osun State has escalated significantly ahead of the August 15 election. According to reports, at least 34 people have been killed in politically-related incidents, with election observer group Yiaga Africa identifying 13 local government areas as violence flashpoints . The Accord Party has petitioned President Bola Tinubu and the Inspector-General of Police over what it described as the police’s pattern of intimidation and politically motivated arrests targeting its members .

In a related development, the Osun State Police Command has brokered a peace agreement between the Accord Party and the APC over the dates and venues of their final campaign rallies . Under the agreement, the Accord Party will hold its final campaign rally on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, at Fakunle, while the APC will hold its final rally on Thursday, August 13, 2026, at Freedom Park, Osogbo . The arrangement was designed to prevent clashes between supporters of the two parties and maintain law and order ahead of the election .

The arrest of Commissioner Adejoorin adds to the mounting tensions ahead of the August 15 governorship election, with both major parties trading accusations of violence, intimidation, and political manipulation . The Imole Campaign Council has called on INEC, civil society organisations, and election observers to closely monitor developments in Ijesaland in the days leading to the election . The council maintained that the arrest would not weaken its political activities, declaring: “You may arrest our leaders. But you cannot arrest the will of the people” . The Nigeria Police Force has confirmed that investigations are ongoing to determine Adejoorin’s level of involvement in the Ilesa shooting incident .