Oyo LG Election: Hoodlums Attack OYSIEC Officials, 14 arrested

-12,000 Security Personnel Deployed, CP

Some hoodlums suspected to be working for politicians in the early hours of Friday reportedly attacked officials of the Oyo State Independent Election Commission (OYSIEC), in Kajola Local Government Area of the state.

The hoodlums were alleged to have snatched ballot papers meant to be used for local government elections in Kajola Local Government.

CityMirrorNews reports that the OYSIEC had slated tomorrow, April 27, 2024 for the conduct of local Government election in the state.

Speaking on the development, OYSIEC Chairman, Aare Isiaka Olagunju (SAN) when contacted, confirmed the attack on electoral officials, but said that no ballot paper was snatched.

A source who reported that the ballot papers were indeed snatched, noted that the materials were however recovered from the suspects and taken back to Ibadan, the state capital. He added that about 14 suspects have been arrested.

Reacting to the report that ballot papers were snatched, the OYSIEC chairman said, “That is not true. The fact is that there was an attack on our officials last night. Our officials were attacked at our office at Okeho. No ballot paper was snatched.

“In fact, the DPO of Okeho and other security agencies followed our EO to come back to Ibadan. They just went back to Okeho now. And we have directed the DPO of Okeho to arrest the suspects. That is what happened”.

Meanwhile, the State Commissioner of Police, Adebola Hamzat, has confirmed the deployment of over 12,000 combined security personnel to fortify operations in all the 33 local government areas during and after the conduct of elections.

Also, it has been confirmed that suspected hoodlums invaded the office of the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission, (OYSIEC) Okeho in Kajola local government area on Thursday. A policeman was injured during the attack but all the election materials, sensitive and non sensitive materials were intact”, the Police Commissioner said at a joint press briefing addressed by the police, sister agencies, OYSIEC and other relevant stakeholders at the State Police Command, Eleyele, Ibadan.