Sporadic gunshots were heard in parts of Osogbo, the Osun State capital, on Saturday night, sending residents and road users fleeing as results of the closely watched governorship election were being uploaded and collation got underway.
Panic broke out in the Olaiya area of Osogbo following the sporadic gunshots, with residents seen running for safety as the sound heightened tension in the area. The incident occurred shortly after voting had ended across the state, coinciding with the uploading of polling unit results and the start of the collation process. The cause of the gunshots was not immediately known at the time of reporting, and no official confirmation of casualties or arrests linked to the incident had been issued.
Saturday’s incident adds to a troubling pattern of gun violence that has plagued Osogbo and its surrounding communities throughout the election season. In June, residents of the capital were similarly thrown into panic after unidentified gunmen fired sporadic gunshots in the Olaiya area, with witnesses describing scenes of traders abandoning goods and motorists fleeing on foot as the sound of gunfire spread through the area, later extending to the Oke-Fia district as well.
That earlier episode came just hours before a violent clash between supporters of the Accord Party and the All Progressives Congress (APC) left one person dead and several others injured, with witnesses reporting sporadic gunfire across multiple parts of the city, including Owode, Aisu, Olaiya and Oke-Fia. The Accord Party had accused armed men allegedly loyal to APC governorship candidate Bola Oyebamiji of moving through Osogbo in a convoy of branded buses while firing live ammunition at residents and road users, sparking the clash and the resulting fatality.
Weeks later, violence flared again in Osogbo and its environs, leaving several residents with gunshot injuries. One victim recounted being attacked outside his parents’ residence after defecting from the Accord Party to the APC, while attackers on motorcycles were also blamed for a separate shooting elsewhere in the city. On the same day, armed assailants were reported to have gone on a rampage in Okinni, a town on the outskirts of Osogbo, injuring several residents, including one of the town’s traditional chiefs.
The state capital has also seen targeted political attacks in the run-up to the election. In one earlier incident, the chairman of the ruling Accord Party in Osogbo local government, Asimiyu Ajibola, narrowly escaped death after suspected gunmen opened fire on his vehicle, leaving him hospitalised in critical condition.
Saturday’s shooting capped a tense election day already marked by multiple security concerns across the state. Governor Ademola Adeleke had earlier alleged plots to disrupt collation centres and bypass established result-collation procedures, while his campaign separately raised alarm over the arrest of the Osun PDP chairman and reports of armed personnel surrounding the state Speaker’s residence. Rival camps, including the APC campaign council, had also traded accusations over the alleged mobilisation of armed thugs during the campaign period.
As of the time of this report, the Osun State Police Command had not issued a statement specifically addressing Saturday night’s gunshots in Osogbo, and the source and motive behind the shooting remained unconfirmed.
