Normalcy has returned to Akure the Ondo State capital following the gunshots incident that disrupted the Senatorial primary election of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC,in Ondo Central Senatorial District.
Also confirming the new development, the Ondo state police command dismissed the widespread fear of robbery attacks in the state capital, and attributed the gunshots to the handiwork of suspected political thugs.
Police spokesman in the state, DSP Jimoh Abayomi, said preliminary investigations showed that the gunshots were linked to activities of suspected political thugs but not armed robbers as earlier speculated.
According to him, “The Ondo State Police Command wishes to debunk reports making the rounds regarding an alleged armed robbery incident in Akure.
“Preliminary findings and credible intelligence available to the Command indicate that the incident was not a robbery attack as speculated, but rather activities involving suspected thugs, which resulted in sporadic gunshots within the area.”
Abayomi added that the situation had been brought under control and that normalcy had since returned to the affected areas, urging residents to remain calm and avoid spreading unverified information capable of causing unnecessary panic.
Also, he appealed to members of the public with useful information concerning the incident to cooperate with security agencies by reporting through the nearest police station or official emergency channels.
Sporadic gunshots had rocked the APC primary election for the Ondo Central Senatorial District and triggered widespread panic across parts of the city.
Specifically, the incident, which occurred at Ward 5, Ebenezer African Church Primary School, Amudipe Street, during the party’s senatorial primary, had triggered panic, and sent residents, motorists and traders scampering for safety amid fears that armed robbers had invaded the area.
Residents around the scene said the sporadic gunshots initially sparked confusion, with many assuming the city was under a robbery attack.
The false alarm had spread rapidly across Akure, forcing many business owners to shut their shops while commuters hurriedly abandoned the area.
“I was inside my shop when people started running and shouting that robbers had entered Akure. Everyone immediately locked up and fled because nobody knew exactly what was happening,” a trader at Okelisa market recounted.
However, visits to major parts of the state capital later in the day showed that calm had been restored, with residents resuming normal activities and commercial transport operators back on the roads.
Particularly, security operatives were also seen stationed around the Ondo Central collation centre at St. Peter’s Unity Secondary School, Akure, as party officials continued collation activities under tight surveillance.
