Osun governorship election: Gunmen invade INEC distribution centre, snatch PVCs, electoral materials

By our reporter 27.7.2026
Independent National Electoral Commission officials ran for their lives on Monday afternoon as gunmen stormed a distribution centre at Oyinlola DC Primary School in Odo-Otin Local Government Area of Osun State.
The gunmen about 10 in number stormed the venue firing several shots to scare away the INEC officials and voters who had come to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs). The hoodlums then made away with the voting materials unchallenged, ahead of the governorship election scheduled for August 15, 2026.
Osun State police spokesperson Abiodun Ojelabi, disclosed that the attackers escaped with three packs of Permanent Voter Cards after the operation.
In a statement issued after the attack, Ojelabi said the Commissioner of Police in the state, Ibrahim Gotan, had strongly condemned the incident and ordered an immediate investigation.
He stated that security agencies had launched a manhunt for the suspects while measures had been intensified to recover the stolen materials.
“Tactical and intelligence assets have been deployed, and efforts have been intensified to apprehend the perpetrators and recover the stolen PVCs,” the police spokesman said.
The police further assured residents that normalcy had been restored in the affected area and that adequate security measures were being put in place to prevent a recurrence.
Authorities also appealed to members of the public with useful information to assist investigators.
Residents were urged to report suspicious movements or persons to the nearest police station as security operatives continue their investigation.
Meanwhile, INEC has confirmed that some Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices were also taken during the attack.
Speaking on the incident, Adedayo Oketola, Chief Press Secretary to the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Osun State, said the commission was awaiting the outcome of the ongoing police investigation.
“We are still awaiting the outcome of the police investigation. The police are already investigating that matter, so we are waiting for the outcome of the investigation,” he said.
“It is not a lot of BVAS. They only took BVAS devices that were being used at the time of the attack. I don’t have the number. But I do not think it’s a lot,” Oketola stated.
“I want you to know that stealing BVAS is not going to affect the election because the BVAS are useless in their hands,” he said.
“The BVAS cannot affect the election in any way, and of course, the commission will replace the stolen BVAS, and every other plan will go ahead.”