Yoruba forum urges urgent action over wave of killing in Osun

The Yoruba Progressives Forum (YPF) has expressed worry over the spate of killings in Osun state while appealing to President Bola Tinubu to urgently intervene to curb the violence.

Noting that residents now live in fear as a result of gunshot and killings by cultists, the national coordinator, Alhaji AbdulLateef Olalekan (popularly known as Asiri Ede), in a statement, warned that fatal clashes have become a near-weekly occurrence across the state, posing a direct threat to public safety, economic stability, and social order.

Highlighting recent fatalities, the YPF pointed to the killing of Olalekan Oyeyemi (known as Emir Ajagungbade) in Ile-Ife, as well as violent deaths reported in Esa-Oke, Ilesa, and Ikire, where a traveler was among two persons killed.

The forum expressed particular alarm over the latest clash on Friday, October 2, near Ilesa Garage in Osogbo, which left two dead, identified as Adebayo Taoreed (aka Small Rugged) and an individual known as Osha, and four others wounded by gunshots.

It also cited an October 4 attack in the Arowomole area that left Rasaki Wahab (aka Ojo Iku) shot, along with the reported killing of an individual identified as Rogba in Esa-Oke.

The group noted that while Governor Ademola Adeleke previously attributed pre-election violence to political tensions surrounding the August 15, 2026, governorship poll, the lethal clashes have persisted well after the election concluded.

“Osun people cannot continue to live in fear while our youth kill one another and innocent residents risk being caught in the crossfire. Hardly a week passes without reports of killings or violent clashes somewhere in the state. This is unacceptable,” the group said.