Mayowa Adejoorin, Osun State commissioner for environment, has been arrested in connection with gunfire that broke out at an All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign rally in Ilesa on Saturday. Four people were injured, among them a 14-year-old boy struck by a stray bullet while inside his mother's shop. Police spokesperson Abiodun Ojelabi confirmed that officers responded immediately, cordoned off the scene and recovered expended cartridges and caps belonging to Amotekun, a regional security outfit. Adejoorin was arrested at the location and taken into police custody for questioning.
Investigations into the shooting are ongoing. The Imole Campaign Council, representing Governor Ademola Adeleke's campaign, condemned the arrest, calling it politically motivated. Pelumi Olajengbesi, the council's spokesperson, said at a press briefing in Osogbo that the action formed part of a broader pattern to intimidate leaders of the Accord party ahead of the governorship election. No further details about the evidence linking Adejoorin to the shooting were provided by authorities. The police have not disclosed whether other suspects are being pursued.
The arrest of a state commissioner at a political rally raises immediate questions about the circumstances under which a government official could be involved in an armed incident. If the evidence ties Adejoorin directly to the gunfire, it challenges the credibility of the state's leadership; if not, the swift arrest risks appearing staged for political effect. The campaign council's claim of targeted intimidation gains weight only if similar actions have been taken against APC figures, a comparison the current report does not provide.
Editorial note: AI-assisted opinion. All persons mentioned are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Full disclaimer →
