The attack on the convoy of Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke in Osogbo, only few days after his victory in the governorship election, is a disturbing development that must not be dismissed as another episode of political violence.
According to the Osun State Police Command, preliminary investigations indicate that the incident was not necessarily an attempt to assassinate the governor, but was rather linked to an alleged attempt by suspected cult members to gain access to music star David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido. The confrontation as reported escalated into gunfire around the governor’s convoy.
Whatever the immediate motive, the incident is unacceptable. A governor’s convoy can never be an ordinary procession. It represents the office of the governor and the authority of the state. Any group that can fire weapons in its vicinity demonstrates a dangerous level of impunity and poses a serious threat to public safety.
Even more troubling is the fact that the incident reportedly resulted in the death of a 60-year-old man, Tajudeen Yusuf, who was shot in the Itaolokan area of Osogbo as the suspects fled.
This is precisely the reason the authorities must resist the temptation to treat the matter as a minor clash between rival groups. The police must conduct a thorough, impartial and transparent investigation into what happened, who organised the attack, who fired the weapons and why the suspects were prepared to use violence in a public place.
The investigation must go beyond identifying those who pulled the triggers. The sponsors, instigators and anyone who supplied weapons or facilitated the violence must also be identified and brought to justice.
It is the responsibility of the police to make every effort to examine available video footage, eyewitness accounts, forensic evidence and other intelligence that could establish the sequence of events. The public deserves to know the truth, not speculation.
The reported police finding that Davido was the target must also be properly established by evidence. It should not become a convenient explanation that closes the investigation prematurely. If Davido was indeed the intended target, the authorities must determine why he was targeted and whether there was a prior plan to harm him.
Osun cannot afford a return to the era in which political disagreements, personal rivalries or the activities of criminal gangs are settled with guns. The state has already witnessed disturbing episodes of political violence in the months leading to the election, making it imperative that the authorities act decisively.
We therefore call on the Nigeria Police Force to thoroughly investigate the attack and arrest all those found to have participated in it. Those arrested must also be prosecuted in accordance with the law.
The authorities must also send a clear message that victory at the polls does not signal the beginning of another cycle of violence. Democracy cannot thrive where armed men believe they can attack public officials, celebrities or ordinary citizens with impunity.
The Adeleke convoy attack is a serious warning. It must not be allowed to become another unresolved security incident. The perpetrators must be found, the truth must be established and justice must be done.
Osun deserves nothing less.
