Decision2023: Thugs disrupt election in Osun communities, snatch ballot boxes

… hoodlums were led by PDP notorious thug ‘Emir’ – witness

…as police nab two suspects in connection to the attacks

In what appeared like a war situation in some parts of Osun state, political hoodlums loyal to the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in the State, led by one notorious miscreant Olalekan Ajagungbade popularly called “Emir” reportedly unleashed mayhem on the people of the state who came out to exercise their civic duty.

It was reported that the hoodlums, who were large in number, also attacked the country home of the immediate past Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola where several polling units were raided as already thump-printed ballot boxes were carted away by the miscreants.

It was also gathered that the political hoodlums armed with guns, cutlasses, axes and other dangerous weapons ransacked the strong holds of the opposition party – the All Progressives Congress (APC) across the State.

Eyewitnesses explained that the hoodlums who got to Idi-Ogungun polling unit around 3:04pm when the sorting and counting of votes were ongoing, were seen shooting sporadically into the air to scare the electorate as officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) narrowly escaped death.

Another eyewitness account revealed that the attackers who arrived the affected polling units in full force sent the entire community into panic as the atmosphere was rented with gunshots before they eventually took away the ballot boxes.

One of the eye-witnesses who identified himself as simply Rashidi said majority of the attackers took motorcycles to the polling units while others were in a no-plate-number Sienna bus.

“It is unfortunate that these people were hell-bent to ruin the state with several attacks being launched on the people of the state in the last few months.

“It was God that saved me. I was very close to the attacked polling units. I saw the whole thing. They came in large number and started shooting sporadically into the air to scare people as everyone scampered for safety.

“They snatched and took away the ballot boxes in the affected polling units. Though they started the operation at Idi Ogungun, an outskirts of Iragbiji, Boripe Local Government Area and later moved to Eleesun and Odebudo, two of the popular communities in the Council.

“When they successfully ransacked the first polling unit, they swiftly moved to the next polling unit which is a close by distance where another ballot boxes were carted away.

“I was told that a team of police came to repel the attacks and eventually got two of the hoodlums apprehended”, he added.

It was reported that the suspects were taken to the Iragbiji Police Headquarters for interrogation.