Osun NURTW violence: 3 Policemen injured, key suspect arrested

By Isa Isawade

The Osun State Police Command has made arrests of some suspects involved in violent clash between factions of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Osun State Chapter on Monday.

The arrested suspects and items recovered from them were today (July 12) paraded before pressmen during a briefing by the Police Public Relations Officer, Osun State, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, CP Ibrahim Gotan, at the Force Headquarters in Osogbo.

Ojelabi recalled that on 20 July 2026; a protest was carried out by a faction of the NURTW in Osun State over the prevention of their vehicles from accessing the garage by the dominant faction.

This, he said, led to clashes involving another faction of the union in Osogbo before the Osun State Police Command responded swiftly and restored normalcy.

He added that: “But at about 5:30pm of the same date, a distress call was received by the Command that, there was a group of hoodlums shooting sporadically at Oke-Ijetu Area, Osogbo. A team of Anti-Robbery and Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) personnel swung into action.

“On getting to the scene, the hoodlums suspected to be in the faction of one Wakili Alowonle, started shooting at the Police Operative where three security operatives sustained various degrees of gunshot injury and are responding to treatment at the Hospital.

“During the encountered, the operative professionally arrested one suspect; Adedeji Saheed Opeyemi ‘m’ who confessed that, he was informed by Sibi that, he (Sibi) received a call from Alowonle that, they should meet at Oke-Ijetu Area, Osogbo.

“Also, Sibi came to meet him with two pump action guns and handed over one to him. He’s assisting the police with investigation for possible arrest of others at large.”

Items recovered from one of the arrested suspects, 40-year-old Adedeji Saheed Opeyemi, were six expended cartridges, four vehicles, four motocycles, one Military camouflage and charms.

Three motorcycle robbery suspects were also arrested on 19 July and paraded with one Bajaj Motorcycle recovered from them. They were Kamarudeen Babatunde, 39; Lekan Usman, 22; and Moses Oyebade, 40 years old.

“On 19/07/2026 at about 0730hrs, a distress call was received from a complainant that his Bajaj motorcycle with Registration No. MEK 987 VU was snatched from his rider at Osunjela Area, Osogbo. Upon receiving the information, Police Operative of the Command swung into action and through intelligent analysis, the said motorcycle was traced to Modakeke where it was recovered at about 0930hrs.

“Two suspects were arrested namely: Kamarudeen Babatunde and Lekan Usman alongside their receiver named Moses Oyebade ‘m’ of Ondo town, Ondo State. All the suspects and the recovered motorcycle are already in custody for further investigation,” Ojelabi told pressmen.

The PPRO also revealed that two suspected political thugs were arrested on July 16, 2026, after a distress call was received. They were also paraded today (July 21).

The arrested suspects were 26-year-old Alawode Ridwan and 33-year-old Ajibade Ahmed.

They were arrested for allegedly causing mayhem around Amadia Area, Osogbo on Thursday 16 July.

Ojelabi assured that all the arrested suspects would be charged to court after completion of investigation.