Eight people, including a local government chairman, were reportedly killed and numerous others were injured yesterday as elected local government officials running on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, returned to their positions at the various council secretariats, intensifying the crisis over control of local government secretariats in Osun State.
In Boripe, Ilesa-West, Obokun, Odo-Otin, Iwo, Ayedaade, Isokan, and Irewole LGAs, among other places, elected council officials mobilized to return to their positions on Monday morning.
However, thugs in the impacted regions who were thought to be PDP loyalists attacked the offices and fired intermittently into the air in an attempt to stop the chairmen.
Another group of thugs said to be APC loyalists retaliated against the move, causing casualties in the process.
The APC said three of its members were killed, while the state administration claimed the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, lost five members.
With the APC asserting that the Appeal Court had reinstated the fired elected council chairmen and council members, the PDP and APC have been vying for control of the council regions.
However, the Osun State government retorted that an Osogbo Federal High Court declared the election to be invalid.