How My Son Was Killed While Trying to Rescue His Mother – Olapade, Father of 14-Year-Old Recounts

– Osun Police Hunt Suspected Killers as Adeleke Camp, APC Condemn Murder, Trade Blame

By Sunday Oguntuyi, Osogbo

A grieving father, Mr. Olugboyega Olapade, has narrated the heartbreaking circumstances surrounding the death of his 14-year-old son, Ezekiel Olapade, who was allegedly shot dead while trying to save his mother during a violent attack in Ilobu, Irepodun Local Government Area of Osun State.

The killing, which occurred on Sunday near the Irepodun Local Government Secretariat, has sparked outrage and heightened concerns over growing political violence in the state, with both the camp of Governor Ademola Adeleke and the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) condemning the incident while accusing each other of fuelling insecurity.

Meanwhile, the Osun State Police Command has launched a manhunt for the assailants as tension continues to mount in Ilobu and neighbouring communities.

The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Gotan, who confirmed the incident, said he had directed detectives from the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) to track down the perpetrators, adding that the prime suspect had already been identified.

“Detectives from the SCID are already on top of the investigation,” he said.

Speaking amid tears, the bereaved father recounted how armed men allegedly stormed his wife’s palm wine shop located opposite the Irepodun Local Government Secretariat and opened fire indiscriminately.

According to him, the attackers arrived in a vehicle branded with the insignia of the governorship campaign of the All Progressives Congress candidate, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, popularly known as AMBO.

“I was at my wife’s shop with my son and some customers when the thugs in an AMBO-branded vehicle arrived. Initially, they attempted to enter the council secretariat, but when they saw a man wearing a yellow cap at my wife’s shop, they redirected their attention and started shooting at the shop. The man wearing the yellow cap was hit and has been taken to the hospital,” he said.

The distraught father said confusion immediately engulfed the area as customers and passers-by fled for safety.

“My wife fell while trying to escape, and my son went back to help her. It was in the process that he was shot. I didn’t even know he had been hit. I thought he had escaped like the others. After searching for him for hours, I later received information that he had died and that his body was found in a nearby bush,” he narrated amid sobs.

He alleged that one of the gunmen who shot his son was a notorious thug identified as Saheed Kareem, popularly known as “Tanfeani,” adding that the gang consisted of about six armed men.

Police Launch Manhunt

Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Osun State Police Command, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, disclosed that detectives from the Homicide Section of the SCID had been deployed to track down the perpetrators.

According to him, preliminary investigations revealed that the attack occurred on Sunday afternoon near the Irepodun Local Government Secretariat.

“The incident occurred on Sunday afternoon adjacent to the Irepodun Local Government Secretariat in Ilobu. One Saheed, alias Tanfeani, came with other thugs and started shooting. In the process, a bullet hit one Ezekiel Olapade, aged 14, who died on the spot,” Ojelabi said.

He added that another victim sustained gunshot injuries and was currently receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital.

“The identity of the injured victim is yet to be established. The suspected perpetrators are still at large, and efforts are ongoing to apprehend them,” he said.

The police spokesman assured residents that no effort would be spared in bringing those responsible to justice.

The killing has thrown Ilobu and surrounding communities into mourning and fear, with residents expressing concerns over increasing incidents of violence in the area.

Some residents who spoke with our correspondent called on security agencies to move swiftly to arrest the perpetrators before the situation deteriorates further.

Community leaders lamented that innocent citizens continue to bear the brunt of political rivalries and violent clashes.

Adeleke Campaign Raises Alarm

Reacting to the killing, the Director-General of the Imole Campaign Council (TICC), Senator Kamarudeen Olalere Oyewumi, condemned what he described as the growing wave of politically motivated killings and attacks in Osun State.

Addressing a world press conference in Osogbo on Monday, Oyewumi described the death of the teenager as painful and avoidable.

According to him, Ezekiel was neither a politician nor involved in any confrontation before he was killed.

“He was simply trying to rescue his mother, who had fallen while fleeing from sporadic gunshots allegedly unleashed by a criminal gang led by Saheed Kareem, popularly known as Tanfeani. In that courageous attempt to save his mother, the young boy paid the ultimate price with his life,” Oyewumi said.

The former senator expressed concern that despite the public identification of the alleged leader of the gang by the police, no arrest had yet been made.

“The whole world has heard the police acknowledge the identity of the principal suspect. The world is waiting to see whether this acknowledgment will be followed by decisive action or whether it will become another addition to the growing list of unresolved political killings in Osun State,” he stated.

Oyewumi alleged that the attackers had earlier invaded the Irepodun Local Government Secretariat and attacked facilities, including the office of the Amotekun Corps, describing the incident as a coordinated attempt to undermine lawful security structures.

The TICC Director-General lamented what he called a disturbing pattern of violence across the state.

“We have buried our dead in Ikire. We have mourned victims in Ilesa. We have endured attacks on our members in Owode-Ede. Our party chairman in Osogbo Local Government narrowly escaped death. Yet the violence continues and the body count keeps rising,” he said.

Declaring that “enough is enough,” Oyewumi called on the Inspector-General of Police to order the immediate arrest and prosecution of Saheed “Tanfeani” and all persons connected with the killing.

He also demanded a comprehensive investigation into all reported cases of political violence in the state and called for the prosecution of sponsors and collaborators, irrespective of their status or political affiliations.

The senator further expressed a lack of confidence in the leadership of the Osun State Police Command under Commissioner of Police Ibrahim Gotan and called on the Inspector-General of Police to redeploy him and investigate what he described as failures in operational response.

He also appealed to the National Human Rights Commission, civil society organisations, election observers, diplomatic missions and the international community to closely monitor developments in Osun State.

APC Condemns Killing

The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress also condemned the killing of the teenager, describing it as wicked, barbaric and reprehensible.

In a statement signed by the party’s Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi, the APC called on the police to thoroughly investigate the incident and ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.

The party sympathised with the bereaved family and the people of Ilobu, describing the killing as a needless and painful loss.

“It was the height of wickedness for anyone to cut short the life of such a promising teenager for any reason,” the party stated.

The APC warned those using political cover to perpetrate violence against innocent members of the public to desist, insisting that violence was neither the hallmark of the party nor that of its governorship candidate, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji.

According to the party, Oyebamiji has never sponsored violence and does not believe political ambition should be pursued at the expense of human lives.

“It is his belief that the political ambition of any individual is not worth the blood of any person,” the statement added.

The party, however, accused Governor Ademola Adeleke of politicising security issues and urged him to concentrate on protecting lives and property in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.

The APC also commended its members and supporters for maintaining peace despite what it described as provocation and urged them to remain law-abiding.

The killing of Ezekiel Olapade has once again brought to the fore fears over rising political tension in Osun State ahead of the 2026 governorship election.

With police detectives now on the trail of the suspects and the major political camps exchanging accusations over the tragedy, residents say justice for the slain teenager will be critical to restoring confidence in law enforcement and preventing further violence.

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