The Chairman of the Osun State Park Management System (OSTMS), Comrade Nurudeen Iyanda Alowonle, was reportedly shot by officers of the state police command in the late hours of Monday.
The union, in a statement issued by its Secretary, Mikaela Popoola, in Osogbo, confirmed that its chairman was arrested over domestic issues and taken into police custody.
According to him, the shooting of the chairman occurred while in police custody, and the circumstances surrounding the shooting call for a thorough investigation.
The union scribe, who reiterated that the chairman was arrested over domestic issues and taken into police custody, called on members of OSTMS not to take the law into their own hands.
He stressed, “We must maintain peace across the parks while we take the matter up with the appropriate authorities.”
While confirming the shooting, a top Police officer, who preferred to remain anonymous, said, “Alowonle was arrested in connection with the alleged killing of one Oyewale in 2022 and the assault of some residents on Monday night.
“He was shot while attempting to escape and has been taken to a hospital for treatment.”
According to him, Alowonle was maimed by the police gunshot, and a Hummer bus with registration number AWK 480YD, an unregistered Nissan Almera, and a Toyota Sienna with registration number GNN 595 XD were also recovered from him.
“During the arrest, a Barrett pistol, six rounds of 9mm live ammunition, and one expended empty shell were recovered from Alowonle’s private unregistered Toyota Highlander jeep,” the officer said.
“Alowonle and his boys conveyed themselves in a Previn bus with registration number RBC 275XK, but a distress call to the police led to his arrest. He was rearrested at Susi area of Oke-Baale, Osogbo, alongside eight others before being taken to the state police command.”
Meanwhile, all possible efforts made to reach the spokesperson for the state Police Command, Mrs Yemisi Opalola, for comment on the incident proved abortive as calls put to her mobile phone were not answered.

The planned arraignment of 109 foreigners charged with cybercrime before a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja was on Thursday stalled due to their inability to secure legal representation.
The foreigners, who are said to be citizens of China, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Thailand, Brazil, Malaysia, and Myanmar, were recently arrested by the police in their residence at plot 1906, Cadastral Zone 807, Katampe District of Abuja, where they were said to be engaging in cybercrime by allegedly promoting “a fraudulent and unregistered gaming platform.”.
In a six-count charge, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/599/2024, filed in the name of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), the foreigners were charged with cybercrime, money laundering, and unlawfully residing in Nigeria.
When they were brought to court on Thursday, the prosecution indicated its readiness for the arraignment of the defendants.
Justice Ekerete Akpan noted that the defendants were not represented by any lawyer, a development that promoted the judge to reschedule the arraignment for November 22 to enable the foreigners to secure the services of lawyers.
It was alleged in one of the counts that they did aid, abet, conspire among themselves “to commit an offence, to wit, cybercrime, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 27(1)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Act, 2015 (As Amended, 2024).”
They were also alleged to have “knowingly accessed a computer and network and input, altered, deleted, or suppressed data resulting in inauthentic data with the intention that such inauthentic data will be considered or acted upon as if they were authentic or genuine, and you thereby commit an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 13 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act, 2015 (As Amended, 2024).”
In another count, the 109 defendants were alleged to have,
“Knowingly and without authority, you caused loss of property to persons in Nigeria and outside Nigeria when you caused the inputting and suppression of data by deceiving people to believe that the unregistered and gambling platforms they were marketing were authentic, for the purpose of conferring economic benefit on yourselves and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 14 (1) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act, 2015 (As Amended, 2024).”
They were said to have, with intent to defraud, “did promote via electronic messages on the internet a fraudulent and unregistered gambling platform, materially misrepresenting facts about the said fraudulent gambling platform upon which reliance, persons in Nigeria and outside Nigeria suffered enormous economic losses and you thereby commit an offence contrary to and punishable under section 14 (2) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Act, 2015 (As Amended, 2024).”
They were alleged to have removed “from Nigeria, proceeds generated from operating fraudulent and unregistered gambling platforms, namely, 9f.com, c2.top, and 8pg.top, and you thereby commit money laundering, contrary to and punishable under Section 18 of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.”
The defendants were also accused of entering “the territory of the Federal Republic of Nigeria with a business permit of 30 days duration and failed, or neglected to leave the Nigerian territory at the expiration of the said permit and remained in Nigeria without a valid resident permit or appropriate valid visa, and you thereby contravened to Section 4(2) and punishable under Section 44(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 2015.”

Operatives of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command have arrested two suspects, Emmanuel Linus and Moses Daniel, for impersonating a Nigerian Army officer.
One of the suspects, Linus, was apprehended on 30th of November 2024, around 2:00 p.m., dressed in full Nigerian Army camouflage uniform.
During initial interrogation, Linus allegedly presented a fake military identification card listing his date of birth as 20th December 2024, which immediately raised suspicions.
Parading the suspects and others recently arrested across the FCT, yesterday, the Commissioner of Police, Tunji Disu, stated that Linus and Daniel were members of a criminal syndicate specialising in defrauding unsuspecting victims.
“The group reportedly purchases goods and services using fake bank alerts to deceive sellers. The police have commenced a thorough investigation into the matter, with efforts ongoing to identify and apprehend other members of the syndicate. Authorities have assured the public that additional updates will be provided as investigations progress,” Disu added.
The Police Commissioner also disclosed that following his directive banning vehicles without number plates and the use of tinted glasses, no fewer than 296 vehicles had been impounded.
He said, “I am pleased to report our progress since the launch of the Command’s Special Tactical Team. To date, the Command has impounded 296 vehicles for violations such as the use of tinted glasses, driving with only one plate number, and the use of concealed or defaced number plates.”
Additionally, two suspects were arrested for destroying streetlight poles behind the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and stealing cables.
Disu revealed that one of the suspects is a dismissed police officer and that the recovered cables were valued at over ¦ 20 million.
He said, “Following five days of surveillance after noticing suspicious movements around manholes in the area, a significant breakthrough was made. On 29th November 2024, at approximately 3:49 a.m., a distress call was received regarding the vandalism of streetlight poles behind the Foreign Affairs Office in Abuja.
“Acting swiftly, operatives apprehended two suspects, Awal Mustaf and David Maji (a dismissed police officer), during the operation. The stolen streetlight cables, property of the Federal Capital Development Authority, were estimated to be worth between ¦ 20 million and ¦ 25 million. Items recovered from the suspects include: Two medium-sized streetlight poles, Several large streetlight poles and Cables.
“Both suspects are currently in custody and undergoing comprehensive investigation. “
In total, Disu said 16 suspects, 11 exhibits and seven cars were paraded.