Residents of Ilobu, Osun State, are demanding a full police investigation after 14-year-old Ezekiel Olapade was shot dead by a stray bullet while trying to help his fleeing mother during a coordinated armed attack on the Irepodun Local Government Secretariat on Sunday.
It was supposed to be an ordinary Sunday. It ended with a family shattered and a community in grief.
Residents of Ilobu in Irepodun Local Government Area of Osun State are calling for justice following the killing of 14-year-old Ezekiel Olapade, a quiet junior secondary school student whose only crime was turning back to help his mother.
According to eyewitnesses, as reported by Tribune,the trouble began in the afternoon when armed men stormed parts of the local government, shooting sporadically and sending residents fleeing in panic. In the chaos, Ezekiel’s mother fell while running. The teenager turned back to help her — and was struck by a stray bullet. He died on the spot.
Neighbours described him as an unassuming boy who lived with his parents near the local government secretariat. He had no political ties, no enemies, no involvement in any confrontation. Just a son trying to save his mum.
Earlier that same day, the armed group had invaded the Irepodun Local Government Secretariat, vandalising facilities including the office of the Osun State Security Network — the Amotekun Corps. A source described the secretariat attack as coordinated and said it directly preceded the shooting that claimed Ezekiel’s life. Shortly after, the Osun State police command publicly named one Saheed Kareem, popularly known as “Tanfeani,” as the alleged leader of the group behind the violence.
Yet as of Monday, no arrests had been made.
Grief quickly turned to anger. Youth groups staged a peaceful procession to the secretariat on Monday, carrying placards reading ‘Stop the Killings’ and ‘We Need Peace in Osun.’ Police monitored the march but did not intervene.
Meanwhile, traditional rulers and religious leaders gathered at the Olapade family compound to offer prayers. The boy’s father, Olopade Olugbemiga, spoke with quiet but firm resolve — calling for justice, not revenge.
The story was first reported by The Punch, which documented the community’s anguish and growing calls for accountability in the wake of Sunday’s deadly violence.
Ilobu is grieving. And it wants answers.
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