The Osun State Police Command has released the state Commissioner for Environment and Sanitation, Mayowa Adejoorin, after holding him for nearly 24 hours in connection with a shooting incident in Ilesa.
Adejoorin was detained after police officers intercepted his vehicle while responding to reports of violence during an All Progressives Congress campaign rally in the Isokun area of Ilesa on Saturday.
The shooting reportedly left three people injured, including a 14-year-old boy, identified as Tobi Ilesanmi.
According to the police, an Amotekun operative was found inside Adejoorin’s vehicle when officers stopped it. Both men, along with another occupant, were taken to the police headquarters in Osogbo for questioning.
Police spokesperson, Abiodun Ojelabi, said investigators were trying to establish whether those arrested had any connection with the shooting.
He said officers had recovered four spent cartridges from the scene, while a pump-action firearm was also recovered from the Amotekun operative.
The incident has triggered accusations between the APC and the Accord Party, with both sides giving conflicting accounts of what happened.
An APC campaign official in Ilesa West, Folarin Fafowora, alleged that armed individuals emerged from a vehicle and opened fire as the party rally was coming to an end. He claimed that the attackers were accompanied by Amotekun personnel.
The Accord Party, however, accused APC supporters of being responsible for the violence and alleged that party members attacked its supporters and damaged its secretariat.
The police have not publicly assigned responsibility for the shooting, saying investigations are still underway.
Confirming Adejoorin’s release on Sunday, Ojelabi said the commissioner was freed earlier in the day. He added that he could not confirm whether the Amotekun operative arrested alongside him had also been released.
The shooting comes amid heightened political activity in Osun State ahead of the forthcoming governorship election, raising concerns over possible violence during campaign activities.
