A former chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Kazeem Oyewole, has been reportedly murdered by a group of hoodlums in Osogbo, the capital of Osun State. The violent incident occurred on Sunday afternoon at the busy Elelede Junction, sending shockwaves through the community and prompting an immediate police investigation.
Details of the Fatal Attack
The assault took place around Elelede Junction, a known hotspot in the city. According to reports, Kazeem Oyewole, who served as the part-time chairman of the NURTW Aregbe unit from 2018 to 2022, was targeted by the assailants. An eyewitness, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to security concerns, described a harrowing scene.
The witness stated that the hoodlums had positioned themselves at the junction, allegedly extorting money from people under the pretext of collecting funds for a planned carnival. The situation escalated when a motorcycle carrying two passengers, one of whom was later identified as Oyewole, arrived at the scene and was stopped by the group.
"I heard gunshots," the witness recounted. "They later identified one of the two persons who were attacked as Kazeem. Later, they brought big stones and smashed the head of the man identified as Kazeem. He died on the spot." The witness added that the second victim managed to escape with injuries, while the attackers fled before law enforcement officers could arrive.
Police Response and Union Reaction
The Osun State Police Command has confirmed the incident and stated that an investigation is underway. Abiodun Ojelabi, the police public relations officer, disclosed that officers were swiftly mobilised to the scene following the distress call. He assured the public that efforts are being intensified to track down and apprehend the perpetrators.
In the aftermath of the killing, members of the NURTW were seen moving across various motor parks in Osogbo in a tense search for those responsible. This development has heightened anxiety among residents and transport workers in the state. A shop owner at Elelede Junction, simply identified as Basira, confirmed to journalists that NURTW members later arrived and identified the deceased as their former colleague, Oyewole.
A Pattern of Violence Against Union Officials
This tragic event is not an isolated case of violence targeting transport union officials in Osun State. In a chillingly similar incident in November 2025, Adeboye Ademoroti, the NURTW chairman of unit 1 in Ilesa, Osun State, was shot dead by unknown gunmen. These repeated attacks have raised serious concerns about the safety of union leaders and the broader security challenges in the state.
The killing of Kazeem Oyewole has cast a pall over Osogbo, with residents calling for increased security patrols and a swift dispensation of justice. The police have appealed to the public for any information that could aid their investigation, promising that all findings will be made public in due course.
