A former unit chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Osogbo, Osun State, Kazeem Oyewole, has been reportedly killed by suspected hoodlums.
The attack occurred on Sunday afternoon around Elelede Junction in Osogbo, where the assailants allegedly confronted the victim under circumstances that remain unclear.
Oyewole served as the part-time chairman of the NURTW Aregbe unit from 2018 to 2022.
Details surrounding the killing were still sketchy at the time of filing this report, with security agencies yet to establish the exact motive behind the incident.
However, an eyewitness who observed the incident from a distance told Punch that some hoodlums had positioned themselves at Elelede Junction, allegedly extorting money from road users in the name of raising funds for a planned carnival.
The witness, who spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons, explained that trouble started when a motorcycle carrying two passengers arrived at the scene and was stopped by the hoodlums.
The encounter reportedly degenerated into a violent confrontation.
“I heard gunshots. They later identified one of the two persons who were attacked as Kazeem,” the resident said.
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“Later, they brought big stones and smashed the head of a man identified as Kazeem. He died on the spot.
“The other person, however, escaped from the scene of the attack with an open wound. After the incident, the hoodlums fled before police arrived.”
A shop owner at Elelede Junction, simply identified as Basira, also confirmed that members of the NURTW later recognised the deceased as Oyewole.
Following news of the killing, some NURTW members reportedly moved around various motor parks in Osogbo in an attempt to track down those responsible for the attack, a situation that heightened tension in parts of the state capital.
The Osun State Police Command has confirmed the incident and announced the commencement of investigations.
Police spokesperson, Abiodun Ojelabi, said officers had been deployed to the scene to gather evidence and restore order.
He assured that the command was working to identify and apprehend the perpetrators.
The killing has revived concerns about recurring violence involving transport union members in Osun State.
In November 2025, Adeboye Ademoroti, NURTW chairman of unit 1 in Ilesa, Osun state, was shot dead by some gunmen.
