Ondo State Government on Sunday, said that it would set up a panel of inquiry to probe the violence during the Saturday’s elections at Oba-Akoko, Akoko Southwest Local Government of the state, which caused the death of two persons and destruction of properties.
Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, said that the panel would find out the immediate and remote causes of the incidence and determine the cost implication of damages done to public and private property.
He spoke at Oba-Akoko, scene of the incident, together with the state police boss, Mr Undie Adie.
Akeredolu who expressed displeasure at the level of devastation at the Divisional Police Station and its barracks, wondered why the perpetrators of the dastardly acts could embark on such lawlessness.
He called on police and other security agencies to enforce pending government directive to restrict internal human and vehicular movements in the town.
At the palace of Oloba, Akeredolu regretted that despite the several phone calls made to Oba Nurudeen Adegoroye to prevail on his people to maintain peace and order, the people rebuffed sense of reasoning.
Earlier, the state police boss had briefed the governor on how his men at the station were allegedly overpowered by irate mob whose actions he said, were politically-motivated after they had illegally blocked all entries into the town.
Adie, who confirmed the arrest of some hoodlums engaged in various forms of electoral offences assured that there would be enough reinforcement to restore peace and order.
The DPO, Mayegun Adewale who conducted the governor and the CP around the station and other strategic places in the town said the hoodlums were not only youths as being claimed.
He said the sporadic shootings by the criminals showed the calibre of firearms with them and the fact that they were well coordinated for the attack.
On his own, the Senior Special Assistant, SSA, to the Governor on Security, Alhaji Jimoh Dojumo said distressed calls came to the combined team of security agencies, of plans by the hoodlums to destroy electoral materials including ballot boxes and result sheets used for State Assembly election in parts of Akoko Southwest Local Government Area.
He said the security personnel had to embark on a fierce security operation to dislodge the miscreants before the electoral officials and materials used in the election could be rescued to the Collation Centre in Iwaro-Oka.F
Akeredolu had on Saturday evening declared an indefinite dusk-to-dawn curfew in Oba Akoko.
The governor announced the measure following an “heightened level of violence and aggressive attempts at disrupting the electoral process.”
Although only the state assembly election held, the election was been marred with violence.
At least two persons were feared killed and another one critically injured when political thugs engaged security men in a gun duel in the community.
Also, three vehicles, including a police van were vandalised by thugs just as a major beer depot was razed by irate youths.
Security men including soldiers were said to have repelled the attackers while officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission lay down as a safety measure.
The security men were said to have pursued the thugs into the town during which two of them were feared killed and another one critically injured.
The situation was said to have led to the lock down of the Ikare- Oba Akoko Road for several hours as security men mounted road blocks to arrest the attackers.
However, INEC officials said voting materials were intact as security men repelled the attackers.
It was gathered that no less than 20 persons had been arrested after the crisis.
The Police Area Commander for Ikare Akoko ACP Razak Rauf during the assessment of the situation described the vandalisation of police property as “barbaric”.
