The Osun State police command has said suspected political thugs on Monday besieged the Ibadan–Ife Expressway, killed two civilians and injured two policemen attached to the Ikire Division after attacking their patrol vehicle.

The spokesperson for the command, Abiodun Ojelabi, in a statement in Osogbo, on Monday, said officers responded to a distress call about the kidnap of one Sunkanmi and the criminals upon sighting the operatives opened fire on them.

Mr Ojelabi stated that officers on “August 24, 2026, at approximately 1100 hours, along the Ibadan–Ife Expressway, unidentified assailants suspected to be political thugs attacked a police patrol team attached to the Ikire Division.

“The patrol team, accompanied by the Divisional Police Officer of Ikire Division, was responding to a distress call regarding the alleged abduction of one Sunkanmi, male, surname unknown. Upon arrival at the location, the officers came under sudden and unprovoked attack by a group of unidentified hoodlums. 

“The assailants opened fire on the police officers while they were inside their operational vehicle and succeeded in snatching one AK‑47 service rifle. The hoodlums used the stolen weapon to fire indiscriminately, resulting in the tragic loss of two innocent civilians.

“The deceased have been identified as Nurení Sobowale, male, aged 49 years, of Odeda Area, Abeokuta, and Saheed Akinrole, male, aged 43 years, of Adeagbo Compound, Ikire. Two police officers sustained serious injuries during the attack.

“The police patrol vehicle attached to Ikire Division was forcefully taken away by the assailants. It was later abandoned and subsequently recovered with multiple bullet holes and a destroyed windscreen. Nine expended ammunition shells were recovered at the scene of the incident and have been secured for forensic analysis.”

Mr Ojelabi, stated that the remains of the two deceased civilians had been deposited at the Oluyoro Catholic Mortuary, and their families notified.

He added that the injured officers were initially taken to a nearby hospital for emergency treatment where they were later referred to the University College Hospital, Ibadan, for advanced medical care.

The state Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Zungura, who visited the scene for an on‑the‑spot assessment, directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department, to immediate deployment tactical and intelligence assets to the area, to identify, track, and apprehend the perpetrators.

Condemning the unprovoked attack on police officers and the loss of lives, the command urged the public to keep calm and vigilant, appealing to anyone with credible and timely information that might assist in apprehending the assailants to report to the nearest police station.

The command assured residents that necessary measures were being taken to restore and maintain security along the affected axis and across the state.

It added that the coutcome of the investigation would be made available to the public in due course.

Earlier reports noted that three motorists and two passersby were killed during an exchange of gunfire in an attempt to take over the naira and kobo garage, Ikire, in the Irewole Local Government.

It was also gathered that the clash involved the Ikire Divisional Police Officer, Olatona Bamidele, who allegedly went to the garage to offer support for thugs, said to be members of the All Progressives Congress, led by one Ojuyobo, to take over the motor park.