Ikire killing: Family denies requesting corpse, as eye-witnesses point fingers at Police

The family of the late Nureni Tajudeen Sobowale, one of the victims of the recent violent incident in Ikire, Osun State, has denied requesting the release of his corpse, countering claims made in an official police letter dated August 25, 2026.

The bereaved family has raised fresh concerns regarding the circumstances surrounding the 49-year-old’s death, as eyewitnesses allege that Sobowale was fatally shot by police officers rather than suspected political thugs.

A police document signed by the Assistant Commissioner of Police, State Criminal Investigation Department, Osogbo, ACP Olumide A. Toki, and addressed to the Medical Director of Catholic Hospital Oluyoro, Oke-Ola, Apomu, stated that the command was investigating a murder case involving the deceased.

The letter instructed the hospital to release the body to the family through Sobowale’s younger sister, Rofiat Tajudeen Sobowale, and his wife, Idowu Nureni, claiming the family had waived a post-mortem examination.

“Kindly release the corpse to the family as requested to enable proper burial, as the family declined an autopsy to be performed on the body of the deceased,” the letter read.

However, the family has strongly disputed this assertion, maintaining that it neither requested the release of the remains nor authorized anyone to waive an autopsy on its behalf.

The controversy has compounded the family’s grief and fueled skepticism regarding the handling of the case, especially given the initial delay in apprehending key suspects.

Meanwhile, an eyewitness who was travelling along the same route disputed the official police narrative.

“The incident that happened in Ikire occurred before my very eyes. And yes, it was the police. They were the ones.”

“We were directly behind the vehicle; we left the Ibadan terminal together. I am traumatized by how that man was killed, I could not even eat,” the witness stated in a correspondence seen by this newspaper.

Another witness decried the conflicting narratives circulating about the shooting, stating, “I am completely non-partisan, but I can clearly see a cover-up playing out.”

These conflicting accounts have intensified public scrutiny over the events that unfolded in Ikire.

While the police command maintains that the incident remains an active murder investigation, the family has called for an independent, transparent inquiry to determine who fired the fatal shot and ensure full accountability.