Osun Election Violence: About 400 Victims Submit Claims As Relief Committee Begins Verification

About 400 residents of Osun State have submitted claims for relief over losses allegedly suffered during the violence that accompanied the August 15 governorship election in the state.

The claimants appeared before the Election Violence Victims Relief Committee, constituted by the Osun State Government to identify, verify and assess cases of residents affected by election-related violence before, during and after the poll.

The verification and cross-examination exercise, which commenced on Wednesday, is expected to help the committee determine genuine claims and recommend appropriate relief for victims who suffered death, injuries, destruction of property and other losses.

Among those who appeared before the committee was Tolulope Ajayi, wife of Ajayi Aderogba, who was allegedly shot dead in Esa-Oke during the election-related violence.

Ajayi reportedly narrated the circumstances surrounding the death of her husband while presenting her claim before the committee.

Speaking at the commencement of the verification exercise, Chairman of the committee and Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adewale Olumide Egbedun, described the exercise as a major step towards identifying genuine victims and providing relief to those affected.

Egbedun said the committee would subject all claims to careful scrutiny, adding that evidence presented by claimants would be thoroughly examined before recommendations were made for assistance.

He assured claimants that the process would be conducted with fairness, transparency and compassion, stressing that the integrity of the exercise would not be compromised.

He said, “The commencement of the verification and cross-examination process is necessary to ensure that every claim is carefully examined and that assistance reaches those who genuinely suffered losses.”

The committee chairman urged claimants to cooperate with members of the committee by providing accurate information and relevant supporting documents to facilitate the verification process.

He also assured genuine victims that their cases would receive the attention they deserved, adding that the committee would leave no stone unturned in ensuring that the relief process was credible, just and meaningful.

Before commencing the physical verification exercise, the committee had embarked on public sensitisation across the three senatorial districts of the state.

As part of the sensitisation campaign, members of the committee made special appearances on about 10 radio stations across Osun State to enlighten residents about the relief programme and encourage victims and affected persons to submit their claims.

The committee is expected to continue the verification and cross-examination exercise as it works to establish the authenticity of claims and determine appropriate relief for residents affected by the election-related violence.