Gunfire erupted in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, as suspected hoodlums engaged the security detail attached to Governor Ademola Adeleke’s convoy near the palace of the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji.

The assailants, who arrived in an unregistered space bus, reportedly damaged the palace’s main gate and exchanged gunshots with the governor’s security team for several minutes before fleeing the scene.

While the governor had already boarded his vehicle and safely departed during the shootout, the violent clash caused widespread panic, forcing nearby traders and residents to abandon their businesses and seek safety.

Confirming the incident, the Osun State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, stated that the governor’s security team intervened to counter the armed group upon exiting the palace premises.

However, state authorities noted that the underlying cause of the initial altercation outside the palace remains unclear. Security personnel have launched an investigation into the attack to identify the perpetrators and restore order in the state capital.