14-year-old boy shot dead in Osun, father blames killing on suspected political thugs

Security concerns have resurfaced in Nigeria's Osun State following the fatal shooting of a 14-year-old boy in Ilobu, Irepodun Local Government Area. The incident, which occurred on a Sunday afternoon, has intensified allegations of politically motivated violence, particularly with the August 15 governorship election approaching.

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It is Saheed Tanfeani that killed my child. He is the one that killed my child. They came with AMBO-branded vehicles. They were seven in number. I don’t know the others, but there was also a dark man with a scar on his face. It was Saheed that led them. Six of them were shooting. They killed my child.

The father of the deceased, in a video that circulated on social media, tearfully identified Saheed Tanfeani as the leader of a group of six armed men responsible for the attack. He claimed the assailants arrived in vehicles branded with the campaign colors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, also known as “AMBO.”

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No arrest has been made, although some names have been mentioned and those names are on our radar. We’ll see how we can apprehend them.

Sources suggest the shooting occurred in broad daylight and potentially in the presence of police officers. Another individual sustained a gunshot injury to the left hand and is receiving hospital treatment. The Osun State Police Command confirmed the teenager's death and stated that while no arrests have been made, the named individuals are persons of interest in their ongoing investigation.

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The second person that was hit on the left hand is currently receiving treatment. We hope he gets better so he can provide an eyewitness account of what happened.

The APC chairman in Irepodun Local Government Area denied any party involvement, calling the allegations against Saheed Tanfeani false and asserting Tanfeani was not in the area at the time of the incident. Saheed Tanfeani himself has also denied the accusations.

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Our party is not in any way connected to the incident, and the allegation leveled against one of our members, Saheed Tanfeani, is false. The person in question was not in Irepodun Local Government at the time the unfortunate incident occurred.