The gruesome murder of Olalekan Oyeyemi, a political ally of Governor Ademola Adeleke popularly known as Emir, has renewed questions over the violent struggle for control of motor parks within the Accord Party in Osun State. TOBA ADEDEJI retraces the rise and fall of the self-styled mystic and political actor and the conflicts that preceded his death.

It was a scene of confusion and terror at a canteen via Mayfair Motor Park in Ile-Ife owned by one ‘Iya Ibeji’, where Emir and some members of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) were eating before an attack by some gunmen took the self-styled Aníkúlápó (one who carries death in his pouch) away.

It was gathered that some of the attackers were in the uniform of a local security outlet, suggesting that his murder was a product of conspiracy.

A source at the scene, who pleaded not to be named, recalled that Emir was called out of where he was eating with some of his loyalists within the NURTW by the attackers who eventually killed him after overpowering him at the scene of the attack.

The source said Emir was shot repeatedly, causing his Personal Assistant, identified simply as Samuel Gbogo, to flee the scene. However, after Samuel had fled, Emir was said to have put up a fierce struggle, attempting to snatch a rifle from one of the gunmen when he had been shot repeatedly but the bullets did not penetrate. He was eventually overpowered as he was said to have been struck repeatedly with a hammer on his forehead, leaving him to bleed heavily, after which the attackers shot at him several times before they fled the scene.

Until his death, Emir, widely known for his flamboyant lifestyle and self-styled identity as an ‘Anikulapo’, rose from relative obscurity to become a prominent figure on Osun’s streets, among the youths and the state’s political landscape.

Revolving around his influence was his alleged involvement in activities like cultism, thuggery, land grabbing and student unionism. His death has since triggered questions about the events that preceded the killing, the internal political tension surrounding the motor park structure and the circumstances that turned a once powerful political associate into the victim of a brutal assassination.

Emir’s early life and how he earned himself the Aníkúlápó sobriquet

Emir was raised by a mother who is an Osun adherent in Osogbo, Osun State capital, although he is from a community around Ejigbo town. He marks his birthday on September 21 of every year and was to clock 32 before he was killed on September 13.

It was reliably gathered that Emir spent his early days following Sunday Adeyemi, popularly known as Sunday Igboho before he later proceeded to school.

However, he started gaining popularity through land grabbing activities and street right advocacy by resisting cheating of common residents of the state capital. He later earned himself the nick name of Ajagungbade (one who fought to earn a crown).

Emir earned more street credibility after building his own gang and started moving with the members for rights advocacy and land grabbing activities in the Osogbo metropolis. He later secured his base around Isale Aro after which he moved to Balogun Agoro of Osogbo.

While he was raising to stardom on the street, his gang members were always clashing with another led by one Asiri who was a member of the NURTW, leading to a brutal clash between them in 2015, nearly taking his life.

A source, who identified himself simply as Sola, disclosed that Emir was shot and was hacked during the attack where he was initially confirmed dead, not clinically. “He was confirmed dead and his obituary poster was pasted in places where he was popular in Osogbo, while some of his lovers held a candle night procession for him days after he was pronounced dead.”

The source, however, said he came back to life after he was taken to a bush at the back of Onward area of Agunbelewo where he was nursed back of life through traditional and medical methods.

Sola said: “His mother and her traditional religion worshippers stood by him and were fortifying him on the death bed. It was a most terrifying moment for every one of us because one minute he was alive and another minute we perceived he was dead.

“Emir was bedridden for months after which he was later referred to hospital for final healing and restoration of his health.”

The news that Emir was still alive months after he had been declared dead threw Osogbo into a whirlpool of disbelief, relief and resentment. For residents who had mourned him, the revelation was almost surreal.

Obituary posters had been displayed across the town, while some sympathisers had participated in candlelight processions believing they were honouring a man who had died. The discovery that he was alive therefore came as a startling reversal of grief.

For some of those who had crossed paths with Emir or benefited from his interventions, particularly people who believed he had helped them secure justice, the news brought relief and even happiness. What had been accepted as mourning suddenly gave way to conversations about a man they thought they had lost but who had survived.

But the reaction was not universally celebratory. Some of his rivals and people who had developed deep animosity towards him reportedly received the news with disappointment. For them, the death they thought had brought an end to a bitter chapter was suddenly no longer the case.

The revelation consequently left Osogbo with mixed emotions: people who had lit candles in mourning were now confronting the unexpected reality of his survival, while those who had considered him an ally celebrated and those who regarded him as an adversary struggled with the news.

For a town that had already moved from announcing his death to mourning him publicly, the discovery that Emir was alive transformed the story from one of loss into one of the most extraordinary episodes people could remember.

It was learnt that a prominent traditional priest later mediated between Emir and Asiri to broker peace after the former was healed from the wounds inflicted on him. Emir’s fame spread abroad and he was said to have later joined the Aye Confratality, christening himself as ‘Anikulapo’ because he cheated death.

After the 2018 Osun State governorship election, he had joined the camp of the All Progressives Congress (APC) but later left the party for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). A source close to late Emir revealed that he left after realising that his rival whom he had deep seated animosity for because of the life threatening attack unleashed on him and confraternity related issues.

Emir strives for better life after near death experience, confraternity rivalry

Meanwhile, as the self-styled Anikulapo was becoming more popular for his dreadfulness in the state and political space, he strived to earn himself a new identity despite that he had been fingered in lots of cult rivalry killings and political violence in the state.

Emir had earned himself Ordinary National Diploma (OND) certificate before his fame in thuggery and cultism. Then in 2023, he renewed his pursuit to get more academic certificate as he secured admission into Osun State Polytechnic Iree, to study Mass Communication.

Upon resumption, he began to shy away from his old ways, especially thuggery and cultism. He embraced the academic journey with utmost seriousness as he wanted to use education to put a robe of gentleness and responsibility on. He mulled the ambition to become the president of the Student Union Government of the institution and commenced the plans to actualise his goal.

One of his ex-classmates and friends identified simply as Ade told The Nation that Emir was a very jovial and kind hearted person who eschewed violence and embrace peace when he was in school.

He said: “Despite that he was known for thuggery and cultism, he became an ambassador of peace and harmony. He was cheated many times and we would urge him to fight back but he resisted our advice. He became a peace advocate in school but pursued his unionism agenda.

“He was distancing himself from other cult members in school and was constantly refining himself. Even in Osogbo, he hardly moved with his old gang members so that they could see a new him in the society.”

However, on September 15, 2023, he was arrested by the Osun State Police Command after they declared him wanted for alleged murder, cultism and armed robbery. He was whisked away to the Force Headquarters for discreet investigation into allegations of extrajudicial killing, political killings including the murder of the younger brother of NURTW boss, Kazeem Oyeyemi ‘Asiri Eniba’ in 2022 when Adeleke was sworn in as governor and he sacked the leadership that was loyal to the All Progressives Congress(APC) at the time.

Emir was later moved to Osun State and dragged to the Federal High Court on an 11-count charge covering conspiracy, arson, unlawful killing and terrorism. He was accused of involvement in violent attacks and the murder of four individuals (Muraina Olayiwole, Tope, Tajudeen Rabiu, and Oyewale Sharif) in Osogbo in 2022 before and after the governorship election. (The nation)