Osogbo Streets Descend into Chaos as Third Victim Falls in Suspected Syndicate Feud

By Micheal Chukwuebuka

The death toll from a wave of violence linked to a suspected feud within a transport union has risen to three, with authorities yet to apprehend any suspects. The bloodshed began with the fatal shooting of Kazeem Oyebamiji, an aide to a prominent figure in the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW). A motorcyclist narrowly escaped a similar attack, suffering machete wounds.

The violence escalated on Monday in a suspected reprisal attack. Armed men, reportedly travelling in a Hilux van and a Camry car, opened fire in a residential area of the state capital. One of the latest victims, Abiodun Olanipekun, was an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire. The 26-year-old had stepped out to buy cassava flakes for supper and was chatting with a friend about potential work opportunities when the gunmen struck.

“They parked aggressively, came down and shouted ‘what are you doing there!’ That’s how they started shooting,” recalled Afon Oluwafunke, Olanipekun’s aunt. “Biodun fell on his friend as they tried to escape. The bullet hit him in the neck and back.”

Olanipekun was rushed to the UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital, where he succumbed to a spinal injury and respiratory failure caused by the gunshot. A death certificate confirms the cause of death.

Police have confirmed the incidents but state that no arrests have been made. The force’s Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Ojelabi, denied knowledge of any reprisal attack, contradicting eyewitness accounts and growing public concern over the syndicate-linked violence.

The community remains on edge, with residents calling for urgent police intervention to prevent further escalation. The NURTW, a powerful union often embroiled in disputes over control of lucrative motor parks and routes, has long been associated with violent rivalries.