The Oyo State House of Assembly has issued a directive to the State Commissioner of Police to conduct a comprehensive investigation into a violent clash between two rival drug gangs in the Odo-Osun area of Ibadan North Local Government. The clash, which occurred on July 25, 2023, resulted in serious injuries to numerous innocent residents.
During Thursday’s plenary session, the House passed a motion introduced by Honourable O.A. Babalola, who represents Ibadan North East State constituency 1. The motion emphasized the urgent need for an investigation into the gun clashes that took place between two drug gangs in the Odo-Osun area on July 25, 2023.
Honourable Babalola revealed that at least five individuals were shot during the clash, with one victim, 53-year-old Mr. Mudashiru Osungbemi, sustaining a gunshot wound to the eye that resulted in blindness. He also highlighted that one of the gang leaders known as “Packaging” had orchestrated an attack on a police team that had apprehended two notorious drug miscreants on January 21, 2021.
According to reports in the Punch newspaper, “Packaging” and approximately 30 members of his gang engaged in a gunfight with the police team, managing to free two of their gang members who were in police custody.
Tragically, this incident also resulted in the deaths of two individuals.
The House has urged the Commissioner of Police, through the Divisional Police Officer of Oremeji-Agugu, Ibadan, to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter, apprehend the masterminds behind the attack, and provide the House with an updated report within two weeks.
Additionally, the House has called on the police to increase their presence and surveillance in the Odo-Osun area to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The legislators have also appealed to the Oyo State Government to provide free medical treatment to the victims of this violent act.