A middle-aged man, identified as Ebenezer Abiola, was reportedly murdered on Wednesday in the Oke Fia area of Osogbo, Osun State, by some unknown gunmen.
Though the circumstances surrounding the incident were sketchy as of the time of filing this report, security sources said Abiola returned to Osogbo from his base in Ibadan, Oyo State, few days before his death.
He was said to have settled a quarrel between two rival gangs on Tuesday at a popular relaxation centre near the Government House Annex, Oke Fia, Osogbo.
It was learnt that the deceased intervened in the supremacy battle involving a group loyal to a leader of the National Union of Road Transport Workers in the state and a rival group.
Abiola, the sources said, prevented members of the rival group from engaging one another in a free-for-all.
The deceased, it was gathered, was later attacked around 3am on Wednesday by some gunmen, who were reportedly displeased with his earlier intervention.
A security source, who preferred anonymity, said, “We got information that Abiola was killed around 3am on Wednesday at Oke Fia. His intervention had prevented two rival gangs from engaging in a fight at a popular relaxation spot late on Tuesday.
“One of the groups must have been displeased with his role and launched an attack on him. He was no longer living in Osogbo. He moved to Ibadan with his boss, Sunday Igboho.
“He only returned to Osogbo few days ago, because his boss had travelled abroad. Members of the gang suspected to have carried out the attack have gone underground for fear of reprisal.”
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Osun State Police Command, SP Folasade Odoro, said she had not been properly briefed about the incident.
She added that from the report available to her, a man whose identity had not been confirmed, died in a head on collision around Oke Fia, Osogbo.
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