Armed men attacked Independent National Electoral Commission officials in Osun State on Monday, fleeing with voter cards and accreditation devices in the middle of a PVC distribution exercise.
According to the Osun Police Command, 10 suspected thugs stormed Oyinlola DC Primary School in Ward 2, Odo-Otin LGA, where INEC officials were handing out Permanent Voter Cards. Police spokesperson Abiodun Ojelabi said the gunmen fired shots into the air, forcing officials to run before carting away three packs of PVCs.
The police said the Commissioner, Ibrahim Gotan, has condemned the attack and ordered a full investigation. “Tactical and intelligence assets have been deployed” to track the suspects and recover the stolen materials, Ojelabi stated.
The command also said officers have restored calm in Ile-Ife after another group of suspected thugs gathered around Mayfair garage and disrupted public order.
INEC confirmed that some Bimodal Voter Accreditation System devices were taken during the raid. Adedayo Oketola, Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman Joash Amupitan, told TheCable the number was “not a lot” and covered only the devices in use at the time.
Oketola said the theft will not affect the upcoming election.
“The BVAS are useless in their hands,” he said. “The commission will replace the stolen BVAS, and every other plan will go ahead.”
He could not confirm how many PVCs were taken, noting that all missing items are part of the police investigation. “We trust the police to do their job and ensure these hoodlums face the law,” he added.
The Osun governorship election is scheduled for August 15, 2026.
