Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has issued an Executive Order establishing a Coroner Inquest/Panel of Inquiry into the killings and violence recorded in Ikire, Irewole Local Government Area.
The panel is mandated to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident, determine the identities and number of victims, establish the causes of the violence and examine whether any criminal responsibility is linked to the deaths.
Other members include retired AIG Aderanti C. Kayode; Dele Akintayo; a representative of the Nigerian Bar Association; Wale Balogun, representing civil society organisations; a community representative from Ikire; and Dr Babatunde Afolabi, the medical and forensic representative.
The panel is also mandated to determine the circumstances surrounding the shootings and killings and examine the role of security operatives in the incident.
It will investigate whether live ammunition or other weapons were used and whether their use complied with applicable laws, rules of engagement and human rights standards.
According to the governor, the panel may recommend prosecution, disciplinary action, compensation for victims and institutional reforms to prevent a recurrence. “The inquiry will have powers to summon witnesses, demand relevant police and medical records,” Adeleke said.
He added that the panel would inspect the scene of the incident and other relevant locations, receive oral and documentary evidence, and recommend protective measures for witnesses and others at risk of intimidation or retaliation.
Adeleke also directed the preservation of firearms and ammunition records, station diaries, communication logs, incident reports, duty rosters, medical records, autopsy reports, photographs, videos and other materials relevant to the inquiry.
The governor said the Inspector-General of Police, Police Service Commission and Commissioner of Police in Osun had been formally requested to take appropriate interim administrative measures concerning any police officer whose continued operational command could prejudice the inquiry or undermine public confidence in the process.
Also Read: Two die in Ikire as Accord–APC rivalry turns bloody in Osun
The panel is expected to commence sitting within seven days of its inauguration and submit its final report to the state government within 30 days of its first sitting, subject to any extension approved by the government.
Adeleke assured residents of Ikire, families of the deceased, the injured and the general public that the incident would be investigated thoroughly, fairly and transparently.
He said no person found culpable would be shielded from justice, regardless of status, office, political connections or institutional affiliation.
The governor, however, stressed that all allegations remained allegations until established by credible evidence before the Coroner Inquest/Panel.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Osun State Police Command said on Tuesday that two civilians were killed while two police officers sustained serious injuries during an attack by suspected political thugs in Ikire.
According to a statement by the command’s spokesperson, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, unidentified assailants suspected to be political thugs attacked a police patrol team attached to the Ikire Division at about 11 a.m. on Monday along the Ife-Ibadan Expressway.
Ojelabi said the patrol team, accompanied by the Divisional Police Officer of the Ikire Division, was responding to a distress call over the alleged abduction of a man identified as Sunkanmi, whose surname was not known.
He said the officers came under a sudden attack by a group of unidentified hoodlums upon arriving at the location.
According to him, the assailants opened fire on the officers inside their operational vehicle and succeeded in snatching an AK-47 service rifle.
“The hoodlums used the stolen weapon to fire indiscriminately, resulting in the tragic loss of two innocent civilians,” he said. The police later announced the arrest of four suspects in connection with the incidents.
NAN
