The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, on Saturday expressed concern over extra-judicial killings taking place across the state.

The party in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Kola Olabisi, said the initial believe that the conclusion of the governorship election won by Governor Ademola Adeleke, would bring an end to the killings, has eventually become a mirage, going by the renewed spate of killings in the state.

The APC further said the current state of insecurity in Osun has made it compulsory for the Adeleke-led administration to sit up and ensure an end to extra-judicial killings in the state.

“It is worrisome that the Osun sub-national has become a killing field of fellow human beings which has made the people from other states to dread coming to the state as the cheapest thing in the state appears to be extra-judicial death.

“The situation whereby the state is always in the news for negative reports is enough reason to give the genuine stakeholders in the Osun State project a sleepless night as what affects the part will definitely not spare the whole. We, as a party, sympathise with the inhabitants of the state over the activities of these men who are fugitive to justice that have illegally turned Osun State to a jungle where power is might.

“The Governor Ademola Adeleke-led administration should sit up to ensure that the people of the state are not exposed to extra-judicial killings as the stigma and negative label that the unsavoury development has given to the state is worrisome to all the right-thinking members of the society,” the statement read in parts.

It also charged the police and other sister security services to redouble their efforts and ensure security of lives and property of the residents, noting that there can not be any acceptable excuses for further killings.

“The thinking in the society is that each time there is an extra-judicial killing, it simply translates to the fact that the state government and the statutory security services have failed in their constitutional responsibility.

“We shall not welcome any excuses for exposing the people of the state to extra-judicial killings as the extant Constitution of the nation frowns against killings of fellow human beings without being found culpable for such by going through the full cycle of the judicial process,” the statement read.

The PUNCH reports that two persons were confirmed dead by police on Friday in clashes involving suspected members of rival cult groups that occurred in Osogbo, the state capital.

In the incident that reportedly occurred at a lounge in Owoeba, a community in Osogbo, located along Osogbo/Ilesa road, the deceased were attacked by some yet to be identified assailants around 5pm.

In the pictures obtained by The PUNCH, one of the deceased had open wound on his head, as he laid lifeless in a pool of blood.

A resident of Owoeba, who craved anonymity for security reasons, while speaking with our correspondent on phone said, “We heard gunshots and noise in the afternoon. The deceased was with some people drinking when the assailants arrived. They were in a lounge.

“They engaged in fight before the two men were eventually subdued and killed. One of them was hit on the head by the assailants. He died on the spot. Another man was also shot by the assailants.

“One of the deceased is called ‘Small Rugged’. We are all very scared but we later saw police van that came to the joint to park the two bodies.”

Our correspondent who monitored the situation also observed a police van conveying two corpses along Station Road, Osogbo Friday evening.

When contacted, Osun Police Command spokesperson, Abiodun Ojelabi, confirmed the killings, adding that the State Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Zungura, has directed Tactical Teams to move to the area and fish out the perpetrators.

Ojelabi wrote in a message sent to our correspondent, “The command is aware of a shooting incident suspected to have been perpetrated by cult groups around Oke Baale Area osogbo.

“Two persons died at the spot. One of them is identified as ‘’Small Rugged’’. His other names are not known yet. Four other people sustained gunshot injury and have been rushed by the police to a nearby hospital for treatment.

“The CP has directed tactical teams to move out to apprehend those behind this nefarious act.” (The PUNCH)

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