Pandemonium erupted in Esa Oke, Obokun Local Council of Osun State, yesterday as seven police officers were allegedly shot by unidentified gunmen while responding to a distress call related to a chieftaincy dispute.

Eyewitnesses in the community, who spoke on condition of anonymity, reported that the attackers, dressed in black and travelling in a bus, were allegedly hired by individuals involved in the controversy over the appointment of a traditional ruler for Ido Ajegunle.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) for Osun State Police Command, Mrs Yemisi Opalola, confirmed the attack, stating that the officers were ambushed while on their way to Esa Oke.

“Seven police operatives were shot. One of them was hit in the neck. They encountered a barricade on the road, and as they attempted to clear it, they were fired upon by unknown assailants. We have deployed additional personnel to the area to restore order,” Opalola said.

The crisis followed the Osun State government’s appointment of Prince Timileyin Oluyemi Ajayi, a UK-based Information and Telecommunications expert, as the Olojudo of Ido Ajegunle, a village situated between Ijebu Jesa and Esa Oke.

The announcement, made last Wednesday, sparked protests among some residents of Esa Oke, who argued that Ido Ajegunle is under the jurisdiction of the Owamiran of Esa Oke, Oba Adeyemi Adediran. They also contested Ajayi’s appointment, alleging he is an indigene of Ilesa.

Tensions escalated further yesterday when gunmen reportedly shot at residents while travelling in a bus towards the Esa Oke Police Divisional Headquarters. Footage of the incident showed about five injured individuals, stained with blood, allegedly shot by the attackers.

A resident, identified as Dele, said: “The people who shot at the residents were suspected hoodlums travelling in a bus. They were heading towards the Esa Oke Police Divisional Headquarters when they opened fire on people. This is connected to the protest over the appointment of an Ilesa indigene as the monarch of Ido Ajegunle.”

Security agencies, including the Osun State Amotekun Corps and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), confirmed the deployment of operatives to the area. The spokesperson for Amotekun, Yusuf Idowu, and his counterpart from NSCDC, Kehinde Adeleke, assured the public of efforts to restore calm and prevent further violence.