A 60-year-old man, Tajudeen Yusuf, has been shot and killed in the Ita-Olokan area of Osogbo, Osun State. The incident occurred at about 4:00 pm on Wednesday.
The spokesperson of Osun State Police Command, Abiodun Ojelabi, confirmed the incident in a statement issued on Thursday. He said that preliminary investigation indicated that Yusuf, a resident of the Oke-Ayepe area of Osogbo, was allegedly shot by suspected hoodlums shortly after a confrontation involving members of the security team of music star David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido.
Governor Ademola Adeleke, accompanied by his nephew, Davido, had earlier visited the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Olanipekun, at his palace.
Information from the police revealed that immediately after the visit, one Adebayo Taoreed, popularly known as “Small Rugged”, an ex-convict and suspected gang member, attempted to gain access to Davido but was resisted by members of the musician’s security team.
The ensuing confrontation allegedly attracted other suspected gang members in the vicinity, who reportedly blocked the entrance to the palace temporarily and obstructed the movement of the convoy.
The police said the suspected gang members subsequently left the vicinity but allegedly shot Yusuf at Ita-Olokan while on their way.
Upon receiving information about the shooting, the police said they immediately mobilised a patrol team to the scene.
Yusuf was reportedly found lying in a pool of blood and was rushed to the University Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, for medical attention. He was, however, pronounced dead by doctors on duty.
The Command said efforts were ongoing to identify, apprehend and prosecute the fleeing suspects.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police in Osun, Samuel Etaifo, has condemned the killing, describing it as a “dastardly act”, and assured residents that the police would deploy all available resources to bring those responsible to justice.
The police also appealed to members of the public with useful information that could assist the investigation to report to the nearest police station or contact the Command through its official channels.
The police, however, described the allegations against the named individuals as preliminary findings, pending the outcome of the investigation.
