- 146 suspected thugs were reportedly arrested at a lawmaker’s residence
- Some were allegedly brought in from outside the community
- The suspects were questioned over their presence and political activities
No fewer than 146 people suspected of being brought into Osun State to disrupt the governorship election have reportedly been arrested at the residence of Hon. Abiola Ibrahim, a member of the Osun State House of Assembly representing Irewole-Isokan Constituency.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the arrests were reportedly made at the lawmaker’s residence as voting commenced across the state on Saturday.
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A video from the scene showed several of the suspects being questioned about their identities, places of residence and the reason for their presence at the property.
During the questioning, some of the individuals were asked whether they were registered voters in the area and why they had been brought to the location.
Some reportedly indicated that they were not residents of the community, while allegations were made that some had been brought in from outside the area.
The individuals were also questioned about the political party they intended to support in the election. In the video, some mentioned the Accord Party when asked about their political affiliation.
Questions were further raised about whether they had been recruited as political agents or mobilised to transport people to polling units.
The circumstances surrounding the arrests, including who organised the mobilisation and the specific allegations against the individuals, could not be independently verified from the video.
The incident comes amid heightened security concerns surrounding the Osun governorship election, with authorities and political stakeholders warning against violence, voter intimidation and the disruption of the electoral process.
The Osun election features 15 candidates competing for the governorship of the state.
Authorities are expected to investigate the identities of those arrested and determine whether they were involved in any offence or attempt to interfere with the election.
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