Crime
Ikire Killings: Adeleke Establishes Commission for Coroner Inquiry by Executive Order
Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke, has issued an Executive Order establishing a Coroner Inquest/Panel of Inquiry into the killings, shootings, injuries and violence reported at Naira and Kobo Junction, Motor Park/Garage Area, Ikire, Irewole Local Government Area, on August 24, 2026.
The Executive Order, which takes effect on August 31st, 2026, empowers the panel to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident, determine the identities and number of victims, establish the immediate and remote causes of the violence, and examine whether criminal responsibility is connected to the deaths.
This was detailed in a government house statement on Saturday in Osogbo, which set it out that Magistrate Ayokunle Shiyanbola has been appointed Chairman of the Coroner Inquest/Panel, with Mr. Abiodun Badiora as Secretary.
Other members include AIG (Dr)) Aderanti C Kayode, mni (Rtd), Mr. Dele Akintayo, a representative of the Nigerian Bar Association, Comrade Wale Balogun representing Civil Society Organisations, a community representative from Ikire, and Dr Babatunde Afolabi as Medical/Forensic Representative.
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The panel is mandated to determine the circumstances leading to the shootings and killings, examine the role of security operatives, establish whether live ammunition or other weapons were used and whether their use complied with the law, rules of engagement and human rights standards.
It is also empowered to identify any individual, group, security personnel, political actor, transport union member, public official or other person whose action or omission may have contributed to the incident.
The panel may recommend prosecution, disciplinary measures, compensation for victims and institutional reforms to prevent recurrence.
The inquiry will have powers to summon witnesses, demand relevant police and medical records, inspect the scene of the incident and other relevant locations, receive oral and documentary evidence, and recommend protective measures for witnesses and persons at risk of intimidation or retaliation.
Gov Adeleke also directed the preservation of firearms, ammunition records, station diaries, communication logs, incident reports, duty rosters, medical records, autopsy reports, photographs, videos and other materials relevant to the inquiry.
The Executive Order further calls for appropriate measures to protect witnesses and victims’ families, obtain medical and forensic documentation, and maintain peace in Ikire pending the conclusion of the inquiry.
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Police Service Commission (PSC) and the Osun State Commissioner of Police were by the Executive Order formally requested to take appropriate interim administrative steps concerning any police officer whose continued operational command may prejudice the inquiry or affect public confidence.
The panel is expected to commence sitting within seven days of its inauguration and submit its final report to the Osun State Government within 30 days from the date of its first sitting, subject to any necessary extension approved by the Governor.
The government has invited victims’ families, eyewitnesses, journalists, transport workers, police officers, medical personnel, civil society organisations, political parties, community leaders, human rights activists and other concerned persons to submit memoranda and evidence to the panel.
The Governor assured the people of Ikire, families of the deceased, the injured and the general public that the incident would be investigated thoroughly, fairly and transparently.
The Executive Order states that no person found culpable shall be shielded from justice, irrespective of status, office, political connection or institutional affiliation, while stressing that all allegations remain allegations until established by credible evidence before the Coroner Inquest/Panel.
Operatives of the Enugu Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have arrested Basil Iwoba Ochili, Managing Director of Debasilio Construction and Estate Development Limited, over alleged fraudulent activities involving N128 million.
The EFCC disclosed this in a statement posted on its official X account on Wednesday.
According to the commission, Ochili was arrested for allegedly using his company for fraudulent activities, including “obtaining by false pretence to the tune of N128,000,000.00 (One Hundred and Twenty-eight Million Naira).”
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The EFCC said Ochili was arrested based on a claim by a petitioner who alleged that sometime in September 2022, the suspect falsely presented himself as the owner of five plots of land situated beside Anambra State Secretariat by Stamford Hotel, Aroma Junction, Awka, Anambra State, and falsely offered the property for sale.
“Relying on the suspect’s representation, the petitioner purchased the said plots in the sum of N128,000,000.00 (One Hundred and Twenty-Eight Million Naira), which was paid into the suspect’s company account,” the EFCC said.
However, the commission said the petitioner was unable to take possession of the land.
Preliminary investigations, according to the EFCC, showed that the suspect knew that the land “encroached on Anambra State Government Secretariat’s land” but allegedly went ahead to sell it to the petitioner.
The commission further said that instead of refunding the petitioner’s money, Ochili “offered him two dud cheques.”
“Further preliminary investigations showed that the suspect used part of the money to settle his debts,” the EFCC said.
The commission also stated that Ochili’s company, Debasilio Construction and Estate Development Limited, “has never been tax compliant.”
The EFCC said the suspect will be charged to court after investigations are concluded.
“The suspect will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded,” the commission stated.
The Federal High Court (FHC) sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, has sentenced nine convicted crude oil thieves to 10 years in prison without an option of fine following a joint intelligence-led operation by the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigerian Navy (NN).
The convicts were among 19 suspects arrested earlier this year after security operatives caught them allegedly stealing crude oil from an oil well head identified as Asabo-D in Ibeno Local Council of the state.
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Delivering judgment on Monday, Justice Joy Ikpeme found the nine men guilty on a two-count charge of conspiracy and tampering with an oil pipeline, contrary to Section 1(7) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act.
The judge sentenced each of them to five years’ imprisonment on the first count and 10 years on the second count, with no option of fine. The sentences are to run concurrently.
The remaining 10 suspects arrested during the operation are expected to face further legal proceedings.
The arrests followed an intelligence-led operation conducted by the DSS in collaboration with the NN as part of efforts to disrupt crude oil theft and illegal bunkering activities in the oil-producing communities of Akwa Ibom.
The conviction was described by a security source as another significant step in the sustained campaign against oil theft, particularly along Nigeria’s maritime and riverine areas.
According to the source, crude oil theft and illegal bunkering have continued to deprive the country of vital oil revenue while inflicting serious environmental damage on host communities.
The source said the latest conviction underscored the determination of security agencies to ensure that those involved in the theft of the nation’s crude resources are brought to justice.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has called on legal practitioners in the country to desist from the illegal and unethical practice of charging clients in foreign currencies.
The Commission disclosed this in a post on its official X account on Monday.
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The call was made on Friday, September 11, 2026, in Lagos by the Acting Zonal Director of the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the EFCC, ACE I Bawa Usman Kaltungo, when he received a delegation of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Lagos Task Force on Illegal Practice of Law, led by its Head, Moshood Abiola.
Speaking during the interactive session, Kaltungo expressed concern over the activities of lawyers who engage in “illegal and unethical practices,” stressing that the Commission would not hesitate to prosecute anyone found culpable.
He also urged legal practitioners to desist from charging their clients in foreign currencies, warning that such practice could attract regulatory action.
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