#Ondodecides2024: Gunshots Rock Ondo, Edo Border Community

#Ondodecides2024: There was reported firing of gunshots by some unknown persons at Ofosun Village, an Ondo community at the boundary with Edo State.

The incident, it was learnt, caused panic, forcing people to stay indoors to avoid being hit by stray bullets.

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.”

It was not immediately clear what could have led to the incident, but the Deputy Governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Festus Akingbaso, while commending voters’ turnout, expressed concerns over the alleged infiltration of some villages under the Idanre Local Government Area by hoodlums.

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.

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“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.”

Reacting to the allegation on the #Ondodecides2024, the Ondo APC spokesperson, Mr Steve Otaloro, absolved his party of involving in any crime and demanded a thorough investigation into the allegations.

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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.

#Ondodecides2024 report culled from Punch