Gunmen kill APC councillorship candidate weeks to elections

Adeleke Adeyinka, an All Progressives Congress (APC) councillorship candidate for Ward 15 in Abeokuta South Local Government Area, has been shot dead by gunmen in the Ogun State capital.

According to eyewitness reports, the gunmen, who were traveling in a tinted glass vehicle, ambushed Adeyinka, a councillorship candidate in the Oke Ilewo area. The attackers fired multiple shots at the 40-year-old candidate and reportedly struck him with a stone before fleeing the scene.

The tragic incident occurred on Saturday, October 12, 2024, just weeks before the scheduled local government elections in the state.

The Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Omolola Odutola, confirmed the killing, revealing that the incident was reported to authorities at about 12:30 p.m. on Saturday.

In her statement, Odutola detailed, “A concerned citizen alerted the police that unknown assailants, suspected to be cultists, arrived in an unregistered Toyota Corolla Sports car armed with a pump-action shotgun and a pistol. They targeted and fatally shot Adeyinka Adeleke at Jide Jones, Oke Ilewo in Ibara, before escaping to an unknown location.”

Photos of the crime scene have been taken, and police have intensified efforts to track down the perpetrators. Odutola assured the public that normalcy has been restored in the area, while investigations are ongoing to bring the suspects to justice.

The killing of a councillorship candidate, who was actively campaigning for the upcoming local government elections slated for November 16, 2024, has sent shockwaves through the community and raised concerns about pre-election violence in Ogun State and Nigeria in general.