Key points
- Osun State Police Command has launched a full-scale investigation into the shooting that left 60-year-old Tajudeen Yusuf dead in Osogbo.
- Police said the incident followed a confrontation involving suspected gang members after Governor Ademola Adeleke and his nephew, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, visited the Ataoja of Osogbo’s palace.
- Adeleke received his Certificate of Return from INEC on Wednesday after winning the August 15 governorship election.
- The governor pledged full scholarships for the children and dependants of people who lost their lives in election-related violence and announced a ₦500 million victims’ endowment fund.
- Nasarawa Governor Abdullahi Sule attributed the APC’s defeat in Osun to what he described as the activities of “Abuja politicians”, while civil society groups urged stakeholders to build on the positive lessons from the election.
Main story
A 60-year-old man was shot dead in Osogbo on Wednesday after a confrontation involving suspected gang members near the palace of the Ataoja of Osogbo, shortly after Governor Ademola Adeleke and his nephew, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, visited the monarch.
The Osun State Police Command said it had commenced a full-scale investigation into the incident, which occurred in the Itaolokan area of Osogbo.
Police said the victim, Tajudeen Yusuf of the Oke-Ayepe area of Osogbo, was shot at about 4pm after suspected gang members reportedly left the vicinity of the Ataoja’s palace following a confrontation with members of Davido’s security team.
The police said preliminary findings showed that an individual identified as Adebayo Taoreed, popularly known as “Small Rugged”, allegedly attempted to gain access to Davido but was resisted by members of the singer’s security team.
According to the police account, the confrontation attracted other suspected gang members, who temporarily blocked the palace entrance and obstructed movement before the governor’s convoy eventually left the area safely.
The suspected gang members were later alleged to have shot Yusuf at Itaolokan while leaving the area.
Police officers who arrived at the scene found Yusuf in a pool of blood and rushed him to the University Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, where he was pronounced dead.
The command said it had intensified efforts to identify and apprehend the fleeing suspects.
The incident occurred on the same day Adeleke received his Certificate of Return from the Independent National Electoral Commission following his victory in the August 15 governorship election. The certificate was presented by INEC National Commissioner for the South-west, Professor Kunle Ajayi.
Adeleke later visited the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Olanipekun, with Davido, where the situation around the palace subsequently became tense.
The governor used his Certificate of Return speech to appeal for restraint and reflect on the violence associated with the election period.
He also announced measures aimed at supporting families affected by election-related violence, including a scholarship commitment through the Springtime Development Foundation and a ₦500 million Election Violence Victims Endowment Fund.
The issues
The shooting has introduced a fresh security concern in Osogbo just days after the state’s governorship election, with the police investigation now focused on identifying those responsible for Yusuf’s death.
The immediate question is how the confrontation near the Ataoja’s palace escalated and whether the suspects identified by the police can be apprehended and brought before the courts.
The incident also underscores the security challenges that can emerge around politically sensitive gatherings, particularly where prominent political figures and large entourages are involved.
For the Adeleke administration, the development comes at a delicate moment. The governor has begun his second-term mandate with calls for unity and reconciliation, while the violence surrounding the election remains a concern for families of victims and other stakeholders.
What’s being said
Governor Ademola Adeleke said:
“It is deeply painful that any family should have to bury a loved one because of politics.
“No election, political office or ambition is worth the life of a single citizen.”
“The Adeleke family, through the Springtime Development Foundation, will provide full scholarships up to university level for the children and dependants of those who lost their lives.”
“We remember Ezekiel Olapade, Aderogba Ajayi, Remi Abass, Kolade Eluyera, and every other victim of electoral violence. Regardless of political affiliation, they were first our brothers, sisters and fellow citizens. To their families, your pain is our pain, and your loved ones will never be reduced to mere statistics.”
The governor declared:
“My dear people of Osun State, I receive this Certificate of Return not as a trophy or a weapon against anyone, but as a renewed contract with you. The election is over. The campaign is over. The contest is over. Now is the time to govern, unite, heal and build.
“To those who voted for me, I thank you. To those who voted for another candidate, I thank you for participating in our democracy. I remain Governor to all, and together we must place Osun State above politics.”
Meanwhile, Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule attributed the APC’s defeat in Osun to what he described as the activities of politicians from Abuja.
Sule stated:
“I’m not going to brag about anything that we are going to do, but what I can tell you is that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has done well.
“And then I see some people are actually happy and they are celebrating that APC has lost. APC lost partly because of the Abuja politicians.
“Because if not for some of these Abuja politicians, there was no way for APC to lose in Osun State
“But what it means is that the power of a sitting governor is not something you can joke around. That’s the message that was sent actually in Osun.”
The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room also called on stakeholders to build on the positive lessons from the Osun election and address weaknesses identified during the exercise.
The group said:
“The Situation Room’s observation of the 2026 Osun State Governorship Election combined the deployment of accredited election observers to polling units and the use of citizen observers reporting through the Situation Room Election Accountability Tracker (SEAT) mobile and web application.
“The Situation Room called on the governor-elect, political parties and all citizens to make the post-election period an opportunity to deepen democratic accountability, strengthen institutions and promote inclusive governance in Osun State.”
What’s next
The Osun State Police Command is expected to continue its investigation and pursue the suspects identified in connection with the shooting.
The command has appealed to members of the public with useful information to approach the nearest police station or contact the appropriate authorities, while urging residents to remain calm and avoid taking the law into their own hands.
Beyond the immediate investigation, attention will remain on how Osun’s political actors manage the post-election period following a contest that has already been marked by violence.
Adeleke’s proposed ₦500 million endowment fund and scholarship programme could also become an important part of the state’s response to families affected by election violence, provided the announced mechanisms for identifying beneficiaries and distributing support are implemented as outlined.
Bottom line
A deadly shooting in Osogbo has cast a fresh shadow over the aftermath of the Osun governorship election, with police linking the death of a 60-year-old man to a confrontation involving suspected gang members near the Ataoja’s palace.
The incident came shortly after Ademola Adeleke received his Certificate of Return and visited the palace with Davido, while the governor used his victory address to call for unity, announce support for victims of election violence and stress that political ambition should never cost a citizen’s life.
