Five killed as cult clashes trigger reprisal in Osun

Violence erupted in Ilesa, Osun State, claiming five lives within a 12-hour span as suspected rival cult groups engaged in clashes and a subsequent reprisal attack. The first incident, occurring around the Imo Area on Monday evening, resulted in three fatalities amid confrontations between members of the Aiye and Eiye confraternities.

The state police command confirmed the deaths and stated that operatives were dispatched to the scene following a distress call. The Commissioner of Police for the 2026 Osun State governorship election, Samuel Etaifo, directed the Violence Crime Response Unit to intervene.

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From the available information, the incident was a reprisal by a suspected rival cult group.

A second, fatal incident occurred Tuesday morning in the Igbogi/Ikoti Area, where two male adults were confirmed dead. Two other individuals, a woman and a man, sustained gunshot injuries and were hospitalized. Police identified the injured as Gbenga Adedigba and Victoria Adediji, while the identities of the deceased remain unknown. Police spokesperson Abiodun Ojelabi indicated this second incident was a reprisal attack linked to the earlier cult clash.

Commissioner Etaifo visited both crime scenes, issuing directives to local Divisional Police Officers to swiftly apprehend those responsible. The killings have heightened security concerns in the state, particularly as security agencies conducted a show of force across selected communities ahead of the governorship election.

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The CP election went there today, and he has directed the DPO and the Area Commander to make sure they do the needful.