Sporadic gunshots, teargas rock Osun Collation Centre as people flee in panic

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The sudden shooting triggered panic in the area, with people close to the collation centre reportedly running for cover as the security situation became tense.

Tension erupted at a collation centre in Osogbo, Osun State, on Saturday night as sporadic gunshots and the release of canisters sent residents and others around the premises fleeing for safety.

The incident occurred at the Union Baptist Primary School, venue of the Ataoja D Ward 4 collation centre, between about 9:15 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., as the collation of results from the state governorship election was ongoing.

The Punch reports that several gunshots were reportedly fired into the air by security personnel, while canisters were also released within the premises.

The sudden shooting triggered panic in the area, with people close to the collation centre reportedly running for cover as the security situation became tense.

The gunfire lasted for more than 15 minutes, according to an eyewitness account from the scene.

It was not immediately clear what triggered the shooting or whether anyone was injured in the incident.

The development came at a particularly sensitive stage of the election, with results from polling units being collated across Osun’s 30 local government areas and political parties closely monitoring the process.

The incident also occurred shortly after Governor Ademola Adeleke appealed to President Bola Tinubu to intervene over alleged attempts to disrupt the collation of election results in the state.

Adeleke had urged the Federal Government and security agencies to ensure that voters’ mandates were protected and that INEC officials were allowed to complete the collation process without interference.

The shooting at the Ataoja D Ward 4 centre is therefore likely to heighten concerns over security around collation centres as the state awaits the final outcome of the governorship election.