Six people were feared killed in electoral violence and accident which occurred in different parts of Ondo State during the Saturday House of Assembly election. Four of the people were feared killed at Ore in Odigbo Local Government Area while the other two died in a boat accident in Eseodo Local Government Area. The Ore victims were said to have been killed by law-enforcement agents during a protest over alleged manipulation of results in the local government. The youth were said to have protested against the emergence of the winner of the election. A source from the community explained that the youth frowned at cases of vote buying and manipulation of the election results, threatening not to allow the announcement of the results. The source, however, said security operatives from the town were invited but said the youth refused to shift their ground, while they also attacked the security agents. He said the policemen started to shoot sporadically and four of the youth hit by bullets died at the of the protest.
But the victims of the boat accident were National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member, Ibrahim Okanlawon, and an ad-hoc member of staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The victims and seven others were said to be returning from election duty at Arogbo community in Ese Odo Local Government Area when their boat capsized. According to a source, INEC officials and three corps members were returning from Arogbo when the speed boat capsized at the bank of Agadagba-Obon.
He said it took the intervention of the marine security at the bank of the river to rescue five of the passengers but said one of the corps members, Okanlawon, from Osun State, and the other victim, were not lucky. The two other corps members sustained injuries and were currently receiving treatment at a hospital.
The source explained that Okanlawon did not use lifejacket and efforts to rescue him failed. The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Femi Joseph, confirmed the incidents but said only two people died during the election. He said only one person died during the fracas at Ore. The Deputy Governor, Hon. Agboola Ajayi, has sympathised with the family of Okanlawon and described his death as unfortunate.
Ajayi said he was saddened by the corps member’s death. According to him, the country has lost one of its talents and productive young men while serving his fatherland. Meanwhile, seven corps members serving in Plateau State yesterday were injured a car crash in Jos East Local Government Area. The corps members were returning from election duties at the just concluded Governorship and House of Assembly elections in the state.
It was learnt that the injured corps members were receiving treatment at the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) and were responding to treatment. An official of JUTH, who did not want his name in print, said the corps members were rushed to the hospital yesterday. The state government officials have visited the hospital to sympathise with the NYSC members. Identities of the corps members were not made available at press time.
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