Families of victims of the Ikire violence in Osun State have called for an independent investigation into the deaths and injuries recorded during the incident and rejected attempts to frame the matter as a political dispute between rival parties.
The families, represented by Teslim Shittu, alleged that police officers led by the Divisional Police Officer in Ikire were responsible for the shootings at Naira and Kobo Junction and the Motor Park/Garage Area on August 24, 2026.
They said the victims were civilians and breadwinners who had no connection with any political gathering when the shooting occurred.
“It was not a political issue because there was no political event at the park as at the time of the cold-blooded murder,” the families said in a statement.
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The group specifically defended Senator Lere Oyewumi, whom it said intervened after the killings to prevent the situation from escalating into retaliatory violence across the community.
“Attempt to drag Senator Akogun Lere Oyewumi into the matter is a diversionary tactic to cover up the criminal conduct of the fingered policemen,” the statement added.
The families also rejected what they described as attempts to silence them through financial inducement. They said accountability for the deaths should not be compromised by political considerations or monetary offers.
“We abhor blood money. We will not sacrifice justice on the altar of evil money. Those who killed innocent citizens must face the full weight of the law,” they stated.
The allegations have not received an official response from either the Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) or the state command of the Nigeria Police Force.
The families’ position comes as Governor Ademola Adeleke has established a Coroner Inquest/Panel of Inquiry to examine the circumstances surrounding the Ikire violence.
The executive order takes effect on August 31 and covers the reported killings, shootings, injuries and other violence at Naira and Kobo Junction and the Motor Park/Garage Area in Irewole Local Government Area.
The panel will establish the identities and number of victims, examine the immediate, and underlying causes of the violence, and determine whether criminal responsibility is linked to any of the deaths.
Magistrate Ayokunle Shiyanbola will chair the inquiry, with Abiodun Badiora serving as secretary. Other members include retired AIG Aderanti Kayode, Nigerian Bar Association representative Dele Akintayo, civil society representative Wale Balogun, an Ikire community representative and medical and forensic expert Babatunde Afolabi.
The panel is expected to begin proceedings within seven days of its inauguration and submit its report to the Osun State Government within 30 days of its first sitting, subject to any extension approved by the governor.
The inquiry will therefore present an opportunity to establish what happened at the scene and determine responsibility without the matter being overshadowed by partisan claims.
