Suspected hoodlums on Sunday attacked a Permanent Voter Card (PVC) distribution centre in Okuku, Osun State, disrupting the exercise and making away with several packs of voter cards.
The incident happened at the ward collation centre located at Oyinlola DC Primary School in Odo-Otin Local Government Area, where officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were distributing PVCs to registered voters.
A resident, identified simply as Gbadebo, said the attackers stormed the venue unexpectedly and fired gunshots into the air, sending people at the centre running for safety.
According to him, the armed men headed straight to where INEC officials had kept the PVCs before escaping with some packs of the cards.
"We were waiting to collect our PVCs when they suddenly appeared. They fired into the air, everyone started running, and they went straight for the PVCs kept beside the INEC officials before fleeing," he said.
Gbadebo estimated that the attackers were about eight in number.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Osun State Police Command, SP Abiodun Ojelabi, said the Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gotan, had condemned the attack and ordered a full investigation.
He said tactical and intelligence teams had been deployed to track down those responsible and recover the stolen PVCs.
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According to the police, about 10 armed thugs invaded the PVC distribution centre, fired several shots into the air and escaped with three packs of Permanent Voter Cards.
The command assured residents that it remained committed to maintaining law and order and would ensure those behind the attack were arrested and prosecuted.
The police also urged members of the public to remain calm and cooperate with security agencies by providing useful information that could assist the ongoing investigation. Anyone with relevant information was advised to report to the nearest police station or contact the command through its emergency lines.
