The Osun State Police Command has arrested five suspects in connection with the killing of a 14-year-old boy, Olapade Ezekiel, during a shooting incident in Ilobu, Osun State.
The command disclosed this in a statement on Friday by its Police Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Ojelabi, adding that investigations were ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and the individual roles of those involved.
According to the police, the incident occurred on June 21, 2026, at about 3:30 p.m. at a palm-wine shop along Council Road, beside the Irepodun Local Government Area headquarters in Ilobu.
The statement said the deceased’s father, Olugbenga Olapade, reported the incident at the Ilobu Police Division at about 5:00 p.m. on the same day.
It stated that Ezekiel was at the shop with his parent and some customers when a group of people allegedly arrived in a Sienna bus and began shooting sporadically.
“The deceased was at the palm-wine shop with his parent and some customers when a group of persons allegedly arrived at the area in a Sienna bus and started shooting sporadically,” the statement read.
The police said Ezekiel sustained a gunshot injury and later died, while another person, identified as Matthew John, popularly known as Mofoto, also sustained a gunshot injury.
The command said its operatives had since launched an investigation and pursued the suspects, who allegedly moved between locations to evade arrest.
It added that sustained investigative efforts eventually led to the arrest of five suspects identified as Saheed Kareem, 32, also known as Tanfiani; Ismail Yekeen, 24, aka Asumo Ayan; Abass Afeez, 32, aka SS Abass; Salako Taofeek, 30, aka Fenuso; and Barrister Abdulrauf Ogunshola.
According to the statement, the suspects confessed to participating in the crime, while further investigations allegedly identified Taofeek as the person who fired the shot that killed the teenager.
“Investigation further reveals that Salako Taofeek, a.k.a. Fenuso, was identified by other suspects as the person that actually fired the shot that eventually killed the deceased,” the statement added.
The police said Taofeek also identified a man known as Alaagba, who is currently at large, as the alleged armourer and custodian of the gun used in the operation.
The command said efforts were ongoing to apprehend the fleeing suspect for possible prosecution.
It, however, stressed that the investigation was being conducted professionally and impartially, noting that the circumstances of the incident and the roles of the suspects would be determined through evidence and other investigative processes.
“The Command will rely on credible evidence, forensic findings and other investigative processes in determining the circumstances of the incident and the individual role of any of the people involved,” the statement said.