Osun Police Arrest Six Over Murder of Ile-Ife Community Leader, Parade Suspects in Armed Robbery, Burglary and Deadly Cocoa Farm Clash

The Osun State Police Command has arrested six suspects in connection with the murder of Olalekan Oyeyemi Ajagungbade, popularly known as Emir, in Ile-Ife, even as it paraded suspects linked to armed robbery, burglary and a violent clash that claimed four lives at Alapa village.

Addressing journalists at a press briefing in Osogbo, the Commissioner of Police, Osun State Command, CP Ibrahim Zungura, psc(+), mnips, disclosed that on 13th September 2026, the Command received a distress call reporting that armed men had stormed Mayfair Garage, Ile-Ife, and fired sporadically, resulting in the death of the victim, while a fatal motor accident was also reported at Energy Filling Station along the Ile-Ife-Ibadan Road.

Zungura stated that he directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) to take charge of the case and ensure a thorough investigation.

According to the Commissioner, through sustained investigative efforts by the Homicide Section, four suspects were arrested in connection with the crime with the assistance of the Amotekun Commandant.

Further investigations led to the arrest of one Hammed Olalekan Dauda, aka Jagaban, who was allegedly involved in the crime and found in possession of a cut-to-size firearm. During interrogation, he reportedly confessed that the firearm was given to him by one Nurudeen Alowonle.

Subsequent investigations also resulted in the arrest of Waliu Adejare, aka Jay Jay, a personal assistant to Nurudeen Alowonle, in connection with the incident. Zungura gave the names of the suspects as Tijani Ismail, Akinsola Ekundayo, Sijuade Moruf Oyinlola, Ayeni Adegbola Olalekan, Hammed Olalekan Dauda, aka Jagaban, and Waliu Adejare, aka Jay Jay, noting that all the suspects were mobilised by Nurudeen Alowonle and Adeyemi Ojo, aka Sibi. He said the Command is intensifying efforts to apprehend Nurudeen Alowonle, Adeyemi Ojo, aka Sibi, and other suspects currently at large who are alleged to have participated in the heinous crime.

In a related development, the Command arrested six suspects for armed robbery, namely Olaiya Sunday, 27; Akintunde Mariam, 28; Agoro Kudus, 27; Timileyin Idowu, 23; Adekunle Ibrahim, 30; and Temitope Opeyemi, 29. Exhibits recovered include one iPhone 13, one iPhone 11, an Infinix Smart 10, an Infinix Smart 8 and an Itel Android phone. Zungura narrated that on 24th September 2026 at about 1500hrs at Akinlalu, Ipetumodu Area, along the Ile-Ife/Ibadan Expressway, a team of the Command’s Swift Action Squad (SAS) on stop-and-search stopped an unregistered red Bajaj Boxer motorcycle ridden by Olaiya Sunday with a passenger now at large. While the police were interrogating the suspects, two persons arrived at the scene and identified the rider and the passenger as the ones who robbed them of their unregistered TVS lady motorcycle and three phones.

According to the Commissioner, both suspects ran into the bush on being identified, but the police in collaboration with the complainants pursued them and arrested the rider, Olaiya Sunday, after which the case was transferred to the Anti-Robbery Section for discreet investigation. Upon investigation, the suspect confirmed the crime, stating that it was a planned robbery by five persons who left Oje Igosun in Ibadan, Oyo State, with two Bajaj Boxer motorcycles, and that on getting to Ile-Ife, they accosted their victims on an unregistered ash-coloured TVS lady motorcycle, alleged them to be members of an unlawful society and dispossessed them of an iPhone 13, an iPhone 11, an Infinix Smart 10 and the motorcycle. The suspect confirmed that they had been operating in Ibadan, Osun and Lagos, robbing many people, and that they sell stolen motorcycles to one Seriki at Mokola, Ibadan, Oyo State, while stolen phones are sold to one man popularly known as Oshodi in Lagos State. One Akintunde Mariam, the girlfriend of one of the suspects who specialised in using her NIN number to register SIM cards for the robbers, was also arrested.

Zungura further disclosed that on 14th October 2026, a team of police detectives from the Anti-Robbery Section went on investigation activities to Oyo State Command, where two of the suspects, Agoro Kudus, 27, and Timileyin Idowu, 23, who had been arrested by the Oyo State Police Anti-Cultism Section, were handed over to the Anti-Robbery Section of the Osun Command. Same date at about 1900hrs, one Adekunle Ibrahim, 30, aka Oshodi, the receiver, and one Temitope Opeyemi, 29, were arrested at Yemetu Area, Ibadan, Oyo State, with five stolen phones, all of which were stolen in Osun State. He said investigation continues to recover the stolen TVS motorcycle and other stolen properties.

In the same vein, the Commissioner said on 10th October 2026, one Adeosun Gbenga was arrested at Ifo, Ogun State, for conspiracy, burglary and stealing following a report by a complainant that on 22nd August 2026, his Jumia pickup station at Ifo, Ogun State, was burgled and several phones and gadgets were carted away.

He said the Cybercrime Unit of the State CID, Osogbo, swung into action and arrested Gbenga Adeosun, 32, recovering one iPhone 13, five Android phones, one tablet phone, two headsets, two watches and a charger.

In the course of interrogation, the suspect confessed to the crime and efforts are on top gear to arrest other suspects at large. Zungura noted that Adeosun had once been remanded in a Correctional Centre for a related crime.

In another development, the Command arrested one Oniyefa Olayemi in connection with the killing of four persons during a violent clash between rival groups at Alapa village, along Toro Road, Ile-Ife.

The Commissioner said on 5th October 2026 at about 0830hrs, a complainant from Odo Ogbe, Ile-Ife, reported at Police ‘B’ Division, Modakeke, that between 4th and 5th October 2026, some armed men numbering about ten invaded Alapa Village and opened fire sporadically, resulting in the death of his mother, Toyin Olagbaju, 40. Following the report, detectives from the Homicide Section commenced investigation, and preliminary findings revealed that two rival groups, allegedly led by one Awosunle Tosin, who is currently at large, and Emmanuel Agunbiade, also known as Abore, were engaged in a violent dispute over the control of a vast cocoa farm situated at Alapa Village, and the clash reportedly resulted in multiple casualties.

Zungura said the Command subsequently arrested Oniyefa Olayemi, who is currently assisting the police with the ongoing investigation, and that detectives who visited the scene observed evidence indicating the use of various calibres of firearms and ammunition during the incident. Items recovered at the scene include two Dane guns, one small axe, eleven expended cartridges, one live cartridge, three empty shells of AK-47 rifle ammunition, two empty shells of LAR rifle ammunition, one empty shell of assault rifle ammunition and some locally made charms. The deceased persons identified so far are Toyin Olagbaju, female; Emmanuel Agunbiade, male, also known as Abore; one Akeem, male; and one Ademola, surname unknown, also known as Small. The Commissioner said he has directed that all necessary investigative efforts be intensified to apprehend other fleeing suspects and recover any additional weapons connected to the incident.

“I am using this medium to warn individuals and groups against resorting to violence, the use of illegal firearms, or taking the law into their own hands over land disputes or other disagreements. Members of the public are urged to resolve disputes through lawful means and promptly report suspicious activities to the nearest police station,” Zungura said, adding that all suspects will be charged to court upon the conclusion of the investigation in accordance with the law.

The Commissioner assured members of the public that no effort will be spared in ensuring that all those connected with one crime or another are brought to book, reiterating the Command’s commitment to protecting lives and property and urging members of the public to provide credible information that could assist policing in the State.