Clement Adeyi, Osogbo
Suspected cultists disrupted the House of Assembly election in Osun State.
A few minutes after the exercise started, the cultists reportedly came on about 10 motorcycles and invaded a polling centre at Ward 7, Unit 9, Methodist High School, Ilaje, in Ilesa area of the state.
Wielding dangerous weapons, they descended on a voter identified as Banji Oyewumi and beat him to a pulp at the polling booth where he wanted to vote.
The incident disrupted the voting exercise as voters who were on the queue scampered for safety for fear of being attacked.
A voter, Ademola Oluaola, said that the cultists were not strangers but people from the area.
“The cultists came on about 10 motorcycles and rushed straight to a polling booth and started beating a voter, Banji Oyewumi. Those that came are cultists. We know them in this area,” he said.
“The incident disrupted voting because many people who were on the queue to vote started running away for fear of being attacked by the cultists,” he added.
“After leaving Ilaje, they also went to a polling booth at Isale General and Ogbedengbe area to cause another havoc.”
A security source who preferred anonymity, confirmed the incident.
He said that security personnel were promptly deployed in the areas to forestall any further attack by the cultists.
There were reported cases of violence in Ilesa during the poll.
The PDP senator-elect for the Ilesa East federal constituency, Francis Fadahunsi, disclosed that the poll was marked by violence and voter intimidation by politicians.
He said that they sponsored thugs to attack targeted voters to coerce them into voting for their preferred candidates.
Fadahunsi lamented that sporadic shootings by sponsored thugs characterised the polls in Ilesa town and some parts of Ilesa East.