Akinlalu killings: 10 months of anguish as families search for missing bodies

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In this report, YUSUF OKETOLA examines the grief of families of victims of the Akinlalu, Ile-Ife, Osun State killings, who continue to search for the remains of their loved ones months after the tragedy

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Ten months after gunfire tore through the quiet community of Akinlalu in Ife North Local Government Area of Osun State, the families of two victims are still living with a painful question: Where are the bodies of our loved ones?

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For the relatives of Oyebamiji Ibrahim and Oyebamiji Ismaila, the tragedy of September 30, 2025, did not end with their deaths.

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It has continued in the form of uncertainty, unanswered questions and the inability to give their loved ones a proper burial.

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The two men were among four persons who died in connection with the incident, which residents alleged involved operatives of the Western Security Network, also known as Amotekun.

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While the remains of the other two victims, Sefiu Oyebamiji and Abiola Olutayo, are known to have been deposited at morgues in Ile-Ife and Osogbo, respectively, the whereabouts of Ibrahim and Ismaila remain unclear.

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For their families, the passage of 10 months has only deepened the anguish.

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The incident occurred on Tuesday, September 30, 2025. Residents alleged that Amotekun operatives invaded the community and opened fire in the town centre, killing four people and injuring eight others.

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The security corps, however, gave a different account, maintaining that its operatives engaged the victims in a 30-minute gun battle.

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A community leader, Babarinde Olamide, said the incident began after Amotekun operatives allegedly came to the community over a locally fabricated firearm said to have been seized by a suspect.

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According to him, the operatives arrived in three vehicles and began shooting when they reached the centre of the town.

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“In the process, three persons were killed on the spot, and several others were severely injured. Surprisingly, the operatives took away the bodies of those killed as well as those who were critically injured,” Olamide said.

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He added that one of the injured victims later died at the Osun State University Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, after undergoing surgery.

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The incident plunged Akinlalu into fear and grief, with residents demanding answers over what happened that day and why lives were lost.

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Four deaths, different endings

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The four victims did not meet the same fate after the attack. Abiola, who sustained injuries during the incident, later died at the Osun State University Teaching Hospital.

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Sefiu, who was also injured, was treated and discharged from the hospital but died about two months ago, according to findings by Saturday PUNCH.

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Their remains were subsequently deposited at the morgues of the Osun State University Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, and the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile-Ife, respectively.

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But for the families of Ibrahim and Ismaila, there has been no such closure.

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The community alleged that the bodies of the two men were taken from the scene by Amotekun operatives shortly after they were killed.

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Yet, 10 months later, the families say they still do not know where the remains were taken.

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The uncertainty has become a second tragedy for the Oyebamiji family.

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Musibau Adeboye, the Youth Leader of Akinlalu, said the community had repeatedly appealed to the Osun State government and other authorities to help locate the bodies.

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According to him, several letters were written to the government through the state Attorney-General, but the efforts had yielded no result.

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“We have written to the state government and the House of Assembly on how to get the remains of the victims out. But the government is saying that the matter is left to the Commissioner of Police to handle,” he said.

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Adeboye said the community was informed that the remains had been deposited at the State Hospital, Asubiaro, Osogbo, but that the claim had not been independently verified.

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“We do not even know where the bodies of the first two victims were deposited. Their bodies were taken from the scene on the day of the attack by operatives of the Amotekun Corps,” he said.

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He appealed to the state government to intervene and ensure that the remains were released to the families for burial.

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“We appeal to the state government to release their bodies so they can be buried,” Adeboye added.

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A mother’s unanswered plea

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For Mrs Alaba Oyebamiji, mother of two of the deceased, the ordeal has been almost unbearable.

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She lost her sons, Ismaila and Sefiu, in connection with the incident, but while Sefiu’s remains are known to be in a morgue, the whereabouts of Ismaila’s body remain unknown.

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Speaking during a telephone interview with Saturday PUNCH, Mrs Oyebamiji noted that the uncertainty had taken an emotional and psychological toll on the family.

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“The prolonged withholding of my children’s remains has caused me and my family immense emotional and psychological hardship. We have written several letters to the appropriate authorities requesting the release of their bodies, but all our efforts have proved abortive,” she said.

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She said she had barely been able to leave her home since the incident.

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The grieving mother said the family had indicated its willingness to settle the matter out of court because of its limited financial resources.

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“We have made it known that we want to settle out of court because we do not have the financial capacity to pursue the case. I am appealing to the state government to please release their bodies for proper burial,” she pleaded.

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For the family, the issue is not simply about retrieving a body. It is about fulfilling a final responsibility to a deceased loved one and allowing the family to perform the religious burial rites.

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The pain has been compounded by the controversy surrounding compensation reportedly paid to the victims’ families.

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A community source, told Saturday PUNCH that the families of three of the deceased received N10m each from the Osun State Government.

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Mrs Oyebamiji confirmed receiving the N10m, but said the money did little to ease the family’s suffering, as most of it was spent on Sefiu’s medical treatment before his death.

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“It is true that we received N10 million, but the money was spent on Sefiu’s medical treatment before he eventually died. By the time he passed away, only N20,000 remained,” she said.

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For the family, therefore, compensation has not brought closure.

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The missing remains remain the more immediate concern.

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Security operatives arrested

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The aftermath of the incident also saw heightened scrutiny of the Amotekun Corps.

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At least 20 Amotekun operatives were arrested on October 8, 2025, during police raids on the corps’ offices in Ife and Osogbo over their alleged involvement in the incident.

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There was also controversy over the role of the Osun State Amotekun Commandant, Isaac Omoyele.

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Although he was invited by the police for questioning, he initially failed to honour the invitation. The corps later explained that Omoyele voluntarily reported to the Force Headquarters in Abuja.

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The then Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, subsequently directed the Intelligence Response Team to take over the investigation.

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Months later, however, questions over the fate of the two missing bodies remain.

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When contacted by Saturday PUNCH, the spokesperson for the Osun State Amotekun Corps, Yusuf Idowu, declined to comment, saying the matter was before the court.

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“The matter is still before the court. Therefore, I cannot comment on it for now,” he said.

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The police also said the investigation had not been abandoned.

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The Force Public Relations Officer, Ani Iniedu, told Saturday PUNCH that the probe was ongoing.

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“Probe ongoing. Will update you shortly,” he stated.

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For Akinlalu, the investigation represents more than an official process.

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Ten months after the shooting, the community wants answers.

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The families want the remains of their loved ones. And the grieving mother of Ismaila and Sefiu wants the uncertainty that has kept her trapped in grief to finally end.

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Until the whereabouts of Ibrahim and Ismaila are established and their families can lay them to rest, the Akinlalu killings will remain an open wound for the community.

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