The Oyo State Police Command has launched an investigation into a viral video showing an individual identified as Shawama allegedly confessing to killing 32 people in Ibadan while declaring support for President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid .
The disturbing footage, which has circulated widely on social media, shows Shawama in the company of others making the shocking claim. Speaking in Yoruba, he said: “When they wanted to misbehave in Ibadan, I killed 32” .
In the video, Shawama also alleged that security forces encountered him after the killings but allowed him to go free. “Police and soldier saw me and said I should be going home, that I’ve tried,” he claimed .
The video featured other individuals who voiced support for President Tinubu ahead of the 2027 election, with one saying: “Even without elections, you have won” .
The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, in a statement on Tuesday, said the Command was taking the claims seriously but clarified that there is no record of Shawama ever being arrested by its operatives .
“The Oyo State Police Command has obtained a video in which an individual identified as Shawama, in the company of others, claims to have killed 32 people. The Command wishes to categorically state that there is no record of such an individual having been arrested by our operatives at any point,” Olayinka said .
“As a responsible and responsive agency, the Command has launched a thorough investigation into the allegations and the confessional statements contained in the video,” he added .
The police said the investigation will leverage advanced technology, including digital forensics and digital footprint analysis, to ensure a robust and credible outcome .
The Command appealed to members of the public with information that could help identify Shawama or any accomplices to come forward and assist law enforcement in bringing them to justice .
Olayinka assured the public that updates on the investigation’s progress and outcome would be shared in due course .
The video has sparked widespread outrage on social media, with many Nigerians expressing concern over political thuggery and the culture of impunity .
Some netizens linked the thugs to the All Progressives Congress (APC), with one user commenting: “If this is even remotely true, then we don’t just have a security problem, we have a system problem. The real question is: who is protecting who?” .
Another user questioned: “In a working country with law that is working, this kind of person should have been awaiting execution or already neutralised due to his actions. But here in Nigeria, it seems that everything goes if you have the right connection” .
The development has once again highlighted concerns about political thuggery and violence, particularly as early alignments and mobilisations for the 2027 general elections begin to take shape .
