Osun State Police Command has launched an investigation into the shooting incidents that occurred in parts of the state which has left several people injured.

In a statement issued on Wednesday on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, CP Ibrahim Gotan, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, said the command was deeply concerned about the incidents and had commenced efforts to identify and arrest those responsible.

According to the statement, CP Gotan immediately directed the Command’s Violent Crime Response Unit, alongside the Operations and Intelligence Departments, to begin a comprehensive investigation.

The police said the investigation was aimed at ensuring the arrest and prosecution of all individuals connected with the attacks.

“The Commissioner of Police immediately directed the Command’s Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU), alongside the department of operations and intelligence units of the command, to commence a thorough investigation aimed at arresting and prosecuting those responsible,” the statement said.

The command assured residents that normalcy had been restored in the affected areas and that measures had been put in place to prevent a recurrence of the violence.

It added that security had been reinforced in the affected communities, while intelligence-led operations were ongoing to track down the perpetrators and any sponsors linked to the incidents.

“The Command wishes to reassure residents that all necessary steps have been taken as normalcy has been restored to the areas and measures have been implemented to prevent any recurrence,” the statement added.

The police further disclosed that officers promptly evacuated injured victims to medical facilities for treatment and noted that those affected were responding positively to medical care.

The Commissioner of Police appealed to residents to remain calm, vigilant and law-abiding, while urging members of the public with useful information to assist the investigation.

“Citizens with useful information that can aid the ongoing investigation are encouraged to report to the nearest police station or contact the Command through its emergency channels. All information provided will be treated with strict confidentiality,” Ojelabi said.

The command reiterated its commitment to protecting lives and property across the state and pledged to ensure that all those behind the criminal acts were brought to justice.

Police also warned individuals and groups against taking the law into their own hands or engaging in activities capable of threatening public peace and security in Osun State.

DAILY POST has reported on Tuesday that the Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke and the Osun State All Progressives Congress, APC, Governorship Campaign Council exchanged accusations over a wave of violence reported in parts of Osun State, as both sides called for security intervention and investigations into the incidents.

The allegations followed reports of attacks and shootings in Osogbo, Ede and Ile-Ife, with the state government, the APC and the Accord offering differing accounts of the disturbances and assigning responsibility to rival political groups.

Addressing an emergency press briefing in Osogbo, Governor Adeleke condemned the coordinated attacks by political thugs allegedly associated with the governorship campaign of APC governorship candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, popularly known as AMBO.

However, the Osun APC Governorship Campaign Council rejected the governor’s claims and accused supporters of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and Accord of orchestrating attacks against APC members and campaign assets.

Meanwhile, the Accord through a statement signed by its Osun State Chairman, Pastor Victor Babalola Akande, alleged that armed thugs allegedly linked to the APC governorship campaign carried out shootings in parts of Osogbo and Owode-Ede, resulting in casualties and injuries.

The Social Democratic Party, SDP, presidential candidate, Adewole Adebayo, has again slammed the administration of President Bola Tinubu over the level of hardship in the country.

In a post on his verified X handle on Tuesday, Adebayo said poverty is not Nigeria’s destiny, lamenting that poverty is the consequence of policy failures and poor leadership.

Adebayo stated that Nigeria could reverse its economic fortunes through what he described as the right government, clear priorities and deliberate planning.

The SDP’s presidential candidate pointed out that despite three years of economic reforms, millions of Nigerians continue to struggle with rising hardship and reduced purchasing power.

“Poverty is not Nigeria’s destiny. It is the result of failed leadership and it can be defeated with the right government, the right priorities and the right plan,” Adebayo stated.