At least five people are feared dead after a violent clash between suspected political thugs at Naira and Kobo Garage in Ikire, Irewole Local Government Area of Osun State.
The victims reportedly include three commercial bus drivers and two passersby.
The Monday clash broke out over control of the motor park, with witnesses linking the violence to a broader struggle between rival political factions for control of parks across the state following the recent governorship election.
A witness who spoke with SaharaReporters after fleeing the scene said the trouble began soon after the Independent National Electoral Commission declared Accord the winner of the Osun governorship poll. According to the witness, thugs loyal to the APC had controlled major motor parks in towns including Ikire, Ile-Ife and Osogbo ahead of the election, but Accord supporters moved to take over some of these parks afterward, believing the result had shifted the balance of power in the state.
The witness said APC loyalists later regrouped and launched coordinated attacks on parks in several towns, including Ikire, Iwo and Osogbo, driven by disputes over both park leadership and local government control. Describing the Ikire incident, the witness said he was around the scene when the attack started and narrowly escaped, adding that it was unclear which faction was responsible but that political thugs were involved.
There were also allegations that the Divisional Police Officer in Ikire, Olatona Bamidele, visited the garage during the clash, reportedly to clear the road and create access for a group of suspected APC thugs said to be led by a man identified as Ojuyobo.
A video circulating from the scene reportedly showed at least two bodies on the ground, one with an apparent gunshot wound to the head.
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