Fidelis David in Akure
Normalcy has returned to Akure, the Ondo State capital, following Monday’s gunfire that disrupted the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election for the Ondo Central Senatorial District and triggered widespread panic across parts of the city.
The incident, which occurred at Ward 5, Ebenezer African Church Primary School, Amudipe Street, during the party’s senatorial primary, had sent residents, motorists and traders scampering to 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 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.
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.
The restoration of calm was followed by a clarification by the Ondo State Police Command, which dismissed widespread reports of an alleged armed robbery attack in the state capital.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Jimoh Abayomi, said preliminary investigations showed that the gunshots were linked to activities of suspected political thugs and not armed robbers as earlier speculated.
“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.”