The Osun State Police Command has declared a factional chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Nurudeen Alowonle, wanted over the killing of transport union figure Olalekan Oyeyemi, popularly known as Emir, as six suspects have been arrested in connection with the murder.
The state Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Zungura, announced the development on Monday while briefing journalists during the parade of suspects arrested for various offences at the command headquarters in Osogbo.
Zungura said the police were intensifying efforts to apprehend Alowonle and another NURTW chief, Adeyemi Ojo, also known as Sibi, over the September 13 killing of Emir at a motor park in Ile-Ife.
According to the police commissioner, investigations and statements obtained from suspects in custody allegedly implicated the two union figures in the incident.
The development marks a significant escalation in the police investigation into the killing, which has drawn attention to the persistent violence surrounding rival transport union factions in parts of Osun State.
Zungura identified the suspects already in custody as Tijani Ismail, Akinsola Ekundayo, Sijuade Moruf, Ayeni Adegbola, Hammed Dada and Waliyu Adejare.
He said the investigation led to the arrest of Hammed Olalekan Dauda, popularly known as Jagaban, who was allegedly linked to the killing and found in possession of a locally modified firearm.
According to the commissioner, Dauda reportedly told investigators that the firearm had been given to him by Alowonle.
The police subsequently arrested Waliyu Adejare, also known as Jay Jay, identified as Alowonle’s personal assistant, in connection with the incident.
Zungura said preliminary findings indicated that the suspects had allegedly been mobilised by Alowonle and Ojo for the operation.
“Alowonle is declared wanted,” the police commissioner said, adding that operatives were pursuing the two union chiefs and other suspects believed to have participated in the killing.
The allegations have not been tested in court, and the police investigation remains ongoing.
The case has also drawn attention to the involvement of an operative of the Osun State Amotekun Corps, who was reportedly among those arrested in connection with the murder.
The PUNCH had earlier reported that the Amotekun Corps handed over four of its operatives to the police to assist with investigations into Emir’s death.
The development underscores the breadth of the ongoing investigation as detectives work to establish the circumstances of the killing and determine the alleged roles of those involved.
The police have urged residents to support efforts to apprehend suspects still at large and bring those responsible for the crime to justice.
In a separate development, the police commissioner disclosed the arrest of Oniyefa Olayemi in connection with the killing of four people during a violent clash between rival groups at Alapa village, along Toro Road, Ile-Ife.
Zungura said the incident followed a dispute over the control of a large cocoa farm in the community.
According to the police account, armed men numbering about 10 invaded the village between October 4 and 5, 2026, and opened fire, killing four people.
The deceased were identified as Toyin Olagbaju, Emmanuel Agunbiade, Akeem and Ademola, popularly known as Small.
Olagbaju, a 40-year-old woman, was reportedly among those killed during the attack.
The commissioner said preliminary investigations indicated that two rival groups, allegedly led by Awosunle Tosin, who is at large, and Emmanuel Agunbiade, also known as Abore, were involved in a violent dispute over the cocoa farm.
He said detectives from the command’s homicide section visited the scene and observed evidence suggesting that different types of firearms and ammunition had been used during the confrontation.
Olayemi, who was arrested in connection with the incident, is assisting investigators, while efforts continue to apprehend other suspects.
The police said exhibits recovered during investigations into the Alapa killings included two Dane guns, a small axe, 11 expended cartridges, one live cartridge and three empty shells of AK-47 rifle ammunition, among other items.
The recoveries, according to the command, form part of the evidence being examined as detectives work to reconstruct the circumstances of the violence and establish individual responsibility.
Zungura assured residents that the command would intensify operations against criminal groups and other perpetrators of violence across the state.
He also called on members of the public to provide useful information to security agencies to support investigations and help maintain law and order.
With one transport union chief declared wanted, another allegedly linked to the murder under investigation, and a separate dispute leaving four people dead, the police face mounting pressure to secure arrests, establish accountability and prevent further violence in Osun communities.
