Gunshots as hoodlums attack Adeleke’s convoy in Osogbo

Gunfire broke out on Wednesday as suspected hoodlums targeted the convoy of Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke near the Ataoja of Osogbo's palace. The confrontation occurred shortly after Adeleke received his certificate of return from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and proceeded to the palace to celebrate his electoral victory.

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The guys were shooting from inside the main gate while the governor’s security team responded from inside the palace.

Sources within the palace reported that the assailants had allegedly positioned themselves in the vicinity before the governor's arrival. The situation escalated to a gun battle between the hoodlums and the governor's security detail after an apparent altercation among the attackers. The precise cause of the dispute and the intended target remain unclear.

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The shooting was intense for almost three minutes before the hoodlums ran away with their vehicle before the governor’s convoy could exit the palace.

Eyewitnesses described intense shooting lasting several minutes. A shop owner near the palace stated that gunshots were heard from inside the main gate shortly after the governor entered. The governor's security team returned fire from within the palace grounds. The attackers reportedly fled in a vehicle before Governor Adeleke's convoy could leave the palace.

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It is true there were gunshots when we were exiting the palace and the governor’s security team had to go and engage them.

Confirming the incident, Osun State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, acknowledged the shooting. He stated that suspected hoodlums were involved and that the governor's security team had to respond. Alimi added that the exact circumstances leading to the shooting, including the identities of the groups involved in the initial altercation, were unknown.

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But the circumstances that led to the shooting in the first place, we do not know.