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From Lateef Dada, Osogbo
Oyeyemi Olalekan, a prominent transport official in Osun State, popularly known as “Emir,” has been shot dead by masked gunmen at Mayfair Motor Park, Ile-Ife, in the latest escalation of the lingering crisis rocking the state’s transport sector.
Olalekan, a member of the State Transport Disciplinary Committee, was reportedly shot in the head during an ambush at the motor park.
He was also standing trial on charges bordering on murder, terrorism and cultism.
Sources said Olalekan had gone to the park with members of his faction for a meeting aimed at resolving the lingering feud with a rival faction allegedly led by Wakili Nurudeen, popularly known as Alowonle.
Olalekan had been accused of attempting to take control of some motor parks from Alowonle, a development that had reportedly fuelled the prolonged crisis in the transport sector.
The attack triggered panic at the park, as members of the two factions reportedly fled the scene in different directions.
In the ensuing chaos, a vehicle conveying some of Olalekan’s associates reportedly crashed near the gate of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, while they were attempting to escape.
The development has heightened tension in Osun, particularly in the Asoje area of Osogbo, regarded as Olalekan’s base. Some of his associates have accused the Alowonle faction of being behind the killing. However, the allegation had yet to be independently verified by security agencies as of press time.
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Olalekan’s death comes amid a series of controversies surrounding his activities in the state’s transport sector.
The Osun State Transport Management System (OSTMS) had previously accused him of leading a violent attempt to take over a motor park in the state, an allegation said to have been ongoing since 2024.
There was also a political controversy involving Olalekan after the All Progressives Congress (APC), ahead of the August 15 governorship election, released a viral video allegedly showing him opening the Government House gate for his associates.
Reacting to the latest killing, Governor Ademola Adeleke directed the State Commissioner of Police to immediately apprehend those responsible for the violence.
In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, the governor also ordered all warring factions to vacate motor parks across the state.
Adeleke further announced plans to issue an Executive Order reintroducing the Park Management System as part of measures to restore peace and order in the state’s transport sector.
The governor urged residents to remain calm, assuring them that security agencies had been directed to enforce peace and ensure that all those responsible for the violence were held accountable, irrespective of their occupation .”
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