March 18, 2023

Some motorists who disobeyed the restriction movement order during the house of assembly election in Osun, were arrested by military personnel on Saturday in Osogbo.

They were arrested at the front of state House of Assembly, adjacent to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters in Osogbo.

The motorists were asked to park their cars and were told that they would not be allowed to move until after the election.

One of the arrested motorists, Samson Atanda, said he was going to his polling unit to vote before he was arrested.

Atanda said he was arrested before 7:00am by the military.

“This is rather unfortunate. I am on my way to vote before I was arrested. I am not travelling but trying to get to my polling unit to cast my vote before I was arrested,” he said.

Another motorist, who spoke under the condition of anonymity said that he was arrested around 5:00am on his way to his village to vote.

She said it was tiring staying on the same sport for more than three hours.

“It is rather unfortunate that I was arrested. I was on my way to my village around 5:00am when I was arrested.

“I appeal to them to allow us to go because it is not a crime for one to go and cast his vote

A senior military officer and leader of the team, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said they were only obeying the movement restriction during the election.

He said anyone who wants to cast his vote should have travelled down to the place a day before the election or trek down to the place.

The military officer said that if all vehicles were to be allowed to move during the election, hoodlums might take the advantage to disrupt the process.

“As announced by the Inspector-General of Police, there would be no movement of vehicles and bike from 12.00am to 6.00pm and that is what we are enforcing.

“Anyone who want to vote should do so by casting his votes near his or her house”, he said.

It would be recalled that Gov. Ademola Adeleke, had directed security agencies to arrest any resident who violates movement restriction during Saturday’s House of Assembly election in the state.

Adeleke, in a statement by his spokesperson, Malam Olawale Rasheed, on Friday urged security agencies to enforce previous directives and regulations, which required political leaders to stay in their area after voting, rather than moving round towns and villages.

“Any resident who breaches the directive on movement restriction should be picked up”, he said. (NAN)