A public affairs analyst and community leader, Comrade Onifade, has commended the new Commissioner of Police, Osun State Command, CP Ibrahim Zungura, over the arrest of five suspects linked to the killing of 14-year-old Olapade Ezekiel in Ilobu, four months after the incident.
The teenager was shot dead on June 21, 2026, at about 3:30 p.m. at a palm wine shop along Council Road, near the Irepodun Local Government Secretariat, Ilobu, when gunmen who arrived in a Sienna bus opened fire sporadically. The attack also left one Matthew John, popularly known as Mofoto, injured. The incident was reported by the victim’s father, Mr. Olugbenga Olapade of Ododo Compound, Ilobu.
In a statement made available to journalists on Friday, Onifade said the case suffered undue delay under the immediate past Commissioner of Police, as for over four months after the murder was reported, no arrest was made despite eyewitness accounts identifying the suspects. According to him, the lack of action emboldened the suspects, who were allegedly moving freely, while the family of the deceased and the Ilobu community gradually lost confidence in the police.
“The case was almost turned into a forgotten file. There was no intelligence-led tracking, no visible effort to apprehend the suspects, and no assurance to the grieving family that justice would be served. It was a period of apathy and unprofessional handling of a sensitive murder case,” Onifade said.
Onifade noted that the narrative, however, changed with the assumption of office of CP Ibrahim Zungura as the new Commissioner of Police in Osun State. Upon resumption, the new CP ordered a comprehensive review of all unresolved murder and violent crime cases across the state, with the Ilobu killing given top priority, and acting on his directive, operatives of the Command launched a discreet, intelligence-driven operation that led to the arrest of five prime suspects: Saheed Kareem a.k.a. Tanfiani (32), Ismail Yekeen a.k.a. Asumo Ayan (24), Abass Afeez a.k.a. SS Abass (32), Salako Taofeek a.k.a. Fenuso (30), and Barrister Abdulrauf Ogunshola.
“This is what professionalism means. This arrest, coming shortly after his assumption of office, shows that Osun now has a proactive, intelligent and people-friendly Commissioner of Police. Where others saw a cold case, he saw a call to duty. For four months under the former CP, the killers walked free. The new CP came in and within a short time demonstrated capacity, competence and character. He listened to the cry of a grieving father and acted decisively. He has restored public confidence in the police,” Onifade stated.
He urged the Command to ensure thorough investigation and diligent prosecution of the suspects to ensure justice is served and to serve as a deterrent to other criminal elements, while also calling on residents of the state to support the new police leadership with credible information, stressing that community support remains vital to effective policing.
“The security of Osun State is now in capable hands. Osun is fortunate to have CP Ibrahim Zungura at this time,” he concluded.
