#ONDODECIDES2024: GUNSHOTS ENRUPT ONDO, EDO BORDER COMMUNITY

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Some unidentified individuals were alleged to have fired bullets in Ofosun Village, an Ondo hamlet near the Edo State border.

It was discovered that the incident created fear, causing people to stay inside in order to protect themselves from stray gunshots.

A source in the village, identified simply as Dauda, who spoke to our correspondent on the phone said, “We don’t know who they are but they were firing gunshots into the air in some parts of the village since early morning. Ofosun is an Ondo village close to Benin in Edo State. No casualty, but people in the village are staying indoors.”

Although the cause of the incident was not immediately known, Festus Akingbaso, the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate for deputy governor, praised the turnout of voters but voiced concerns about alleged criminal infiltration of some villages within the Idanre Local Government Area.

Akingbaso, who spoke shortly after casting his vote at Imikan Ward 02, Unit 008, Idanre, commended INEC for the timely arrival of voting materials but alleged, “Information reaching me is that majority of the villages are filled with thugs allegedly brought in by the APC. At the moment, all the villages are occupied with thugs. Villages like Ofosun, Omifunfun and Allah are occupied.

“There is a place called Igbepo where suspected thugs are in their numbers in Idanre Local Government Area. An incident happened in Ofosun where suspected thugs broke into the house of a party member to prevent him from voting. We were informed that there are plans not to allow people in the villages to vote.

“I have reported the matter to the DPO and DSS. To my expectation, the security agencies have not been able to do anything.”

In response to the accusation, Mr. Steve Otaloro, the spokesperson for the Ondo APC, denied any involvement in the crime and called for a comprehensive inquiry into the claims.

He said, “I am in the situation room of APC right now. Let me say first some foremost, the person you mentioned is the deputy governorship candidate of Agboola Ajayi of the PDP. And if you recall PDP had a press conference two days ago alleging the kind of violence that happened in that place was by APC.

“All the places he mentioned, was he on the ground in all those places? He was supposed to be at his polling unit. Even if he was called, he should have done proper diligence to be on the ground. They told us there was nothing like that. Voting is going on orderly, if they have any issue with that, they just want to create an issue out of nothing.

“As I speak, no member of our political party is going out to vote as a member, everybody has become electorate. Whatever violence that is happening, they should investigate it properly, but I can assure you it is not from our members. How will you infiltrate all those local areas, these are routes and farm settlements? Why will our members infiltrate such places? That is not true.

“More often than not, maybe their plans were burst, and that was why he is coming up with this allegation. And since morning, this election has started peacefully, they should allow it to end peacefully. We as a political party, are committed to peace, and we have told our people to allow peace to reign in all their activities in the course of this election.”

When contacted, the Ondo State Police Public Relations Officer, Funmi Odunlami, said she was in transit.

She also said the incident had not been reported to her.