A councilorship candidate from Ogun State’s Abeokuta South Local Government Area, Adeyinka Adeleke, was reportedly killed by gunmen on Saturday afternoon, News About Nigeria reports.
The attack took place in the Jide Jones area, where Adeleke, a candidate for Ward 15 under the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the upcoming November 16 local elections, was allegedly ambushed by assailants in a tinted vehicle.
Eyewitnesses reported that the attackers fired shots indiscriminately before targeting Adeleke directly, leaving him fatally injured.
A circulating video from the scene showed Adeleke’s body while distressed voices of onlookers could be heard in the background.
Sources suggest the attackers approached in a tinted car, with one gunman exiting the vehicle to shoot Adeleke at close range.
They reportedly used stones to further attack him, ensuring he was dead before leaving the area.
A source at the scene recounted that residents fled and local shop owners quickly closed their businesses as tension surged through the neighborhood.
The source added that the motive remains unknown, though locals speculate it could be linked to cult-related violence.
“The killing happened around 2 pm, it took everybody by surprise… No one knows if it is a cultist attack or not. The people in the area are already locking their shops, everywhere is tensed up now, it is so sad,” the source said.
A senior police official confirmed the incident, noting that Adeleke’s family had taken his body for burial.
The police source said, “Yes, the incident happened. His family decided to take his body for burial.”
The Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Omolola Odutola, had yet to respond to inquiries as of the time of this report.
