Comrade Olalekan Oyeyemi, widely known as Emir Ajagungbade and a close associate of Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, has been shot dead in Ile-Ife. The fatal shooting occurred at the Mayfair Garage, sending shockwaves through the state’s political and transport communities.
The incident is reportedly linked to a fierce dispute over the control of the motor park. Sources indicate the confrontation involved other prominent Accord Party members in the state, including Comrade Nurudeen Alowonle and the chairman of the Ife Mini-Bus union, popularly known as Sibi. While the exact circumstances that led to the fatal exchange remain under investigation, the identity of the shooter has not yet been confirmed.
Oyeyemi was a deeply entrenched figure in Osun’s political landscape. He served on the transition committee ahead of Governor Adeleke’s inauguration and was known to have historical ties to former Governor Rauf Aregbesola. Despite his high-profile political connections, his daily life was heavily intertwined with the state’s often-contentious transport and park management system.
His violent end also brings to light a turbulent and heavily scrutinized personal history. In July 2022, the Osun State Police Command declared him wanted over severe allegations, including murder, cultism, and armed robbery. He was subsequently arrested by an anti-kidnapping unit and arraigned at the Federal High Court in Osogbo in 2024 on charges of terrorism, conspiracy, and unlawful killing. He was granted bail in April 2024 and has since remained highly active in his political and transport-related activities.
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The killing highlights the longstanding, and often violent, tensions surrounding the control of motor parks and transport unions across Osun State. These hubs are not just transit points; they are vital economic centers where political patronage and local power frequently clash.
For a man who navigated the perilous intersections of grassroots mobilization, severe legal controversies, and political allegiance, the streets of Ile-Ife ultimately proved fatal. As authorities work to piece together the events at Mayfair Garage, the incident stands as a grim reminder of the high, and sometimes lethal, stakes involved in the battle for local economic control.
Promise Idoko is Junior Reporter working with moderncrux He covers global politics and international affairs. Based in Nigeria,
