Two people, including a wanted man popularly known as Small Rugged, were killed while four others sustained gunshot injuries in a suspected cult clash in Osogbo, the Osun State capital.
The incident occurred on Friday evening around the Owo-Eba area of Ilesa Garage, with residents and traders reportedly thrown into panic following the shooting.
Osun State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, confirmed the incident, saying the command suspected a clash between rival cult groups.
“The command is aware of a shooting incident suspected to be cult clash. Two persons died at the spot,” Ojelabi said.
He identified one of the deceased as Small Rugged but said the identity of the second victim was yet to be established officially.
Four other people sustained gunshot injuries and were taken to a nearby hospital by police operatives.
Ojelabi said Commissioner of Police Ibrahim Zungura had directed tactical teams to move into the area and arrest those responsible for the killings.
The police spokesperson assured residents that the command would intensify efforts to apprehend the perpetrators and bring them to justice.
Small Rugged, whose real name has been reported as Adebayo Taoreed, had previously been declared wanted by the Osun State Police Command over alleged involvement in political violence ahead of the 2026 governorship election.
The police listed him alongside four other suspects in July, accusing them of involvement in violence, killings and other offences.
Police had also linked Taoreed to an August shooting incident in Osogbo that resulted in the death of 60-year-old Tajudeen Yusuf.
According to the police account at the time, Taoreed allegedly attempted to gain access to singer Davido during a visit by Governor Ademola Adeleke to the palace of the Ataoja of Osogbo.
A confrontation subsequently occurred involving suspected gang members.
Reports from the scene of Friday’s incident gave differing accounts of the number of casualties.
While the police officially confirmed two deaths, some eyewitness accounts cited by local media claimed that a third person was also killed and identified another victim simply as “Osha”.
That claim had not been independently confirmed by the police as of Friday night.
