#OsunDecides: Five thugs arrested in Osogbo

Gbenro Adesina/Osogbo

A man alleged to be a member of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) identified as Toyin Omotosho alias Akere was arrested around 3:00 p.m. at ward 6, unit 8 located at Owode street, Osogbo on allegation of ballot snatching.

Some residents of the area said that he was a former councilor at Olorunda Local Government. He was also identified as a notorious person.

Also, security operatives arrested another four men from another units in the state capital and whisked them away. As at the time of filing this report, PM NEWS gathered that five men have been arrested in Osogbo.

Eye witnesses said that while voting was ongoing, Toyin just came from nowhere and grapped one of the two ballot boxes already loaded with thumb printed ballot papers and took to his heel. People around monitoring their votes pursued him until he dropped it. He was later caught by men of Civil Defence and whisked away.

The incidence resulted into apprehension as electorate became scared. A senior officer of the Civil Defence was seen going round and appealing to those that were yet to vote, assuring them of their safety.

He encouraged those that have not voted to ensure that they vote stressing that the security operatives were out to protect the electorate.

Meanwhile, PM NEWS gathered that people of Osogbo were actually intimidated by the presence of the security operatives as many of them did not turn out to vote. For instance, in ward 6, unit one, out of 832 eligible voters only 350 turned out and were accredited giving a shortfall of 482; in unit 3, out of 801 eligible voters, 410 voters turned out and were accredited to vote giving a short fall of 391 and at unit 8, out of 748 eligible voters, 376 turnout and were accredited giving a short fall of 372.

The implication of this is that votes would be low compared to expected votes in Osogbo. At the time of filing this report, PM NEWS gathered that voting had been concluded in some units while it was ongoing at other units with large number of voters, casting doubt on the likelihood that voting would end at 4:00 p.m.

However, some members of the National Youth Service Corps being used as ad hoc staff were hostile to the media as they refused journalists to take pictures of the electoral process at the polling units saying that they were not given the instruction to allow journalists to take photographs at the polling units.