• CP holds meeting with Akire monarch over killing, violence
• Report records 51 cases of online gender-based violence against women
• Osun govt sets up committee to verify election violence claims
• APC warns Adeleke against fresh crisis in Osun LG councils

Two persons were allegedly feared dead yesterday in Ikire community in Irewole Local Council of Osun State when factions of transport unions loyal to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Accord Party (AP) engaged in a violent clash over the control of a motor park at Naira and Kobo junction.

The Guardian gathered that the incident, which occurred around 11:00 a.m., caused panic, leading to the diversion of traffic off Ibadan-Ife Expressway by the officials of the Federal Roads Safety Corps (FRSC).

Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of Osun State Police Command, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, could not be reached as phone calls put through to his mobile phone rang out.

MEANWHILE, the Osun State Commissioner of Police on Election, Samuel Etaifo, yesterday, held a closed-door meeting with the Akire of Ikire, Oba Tajudeen Olanrewaju, in his palace over the violence, which claimed two lives in the community.

A video, sighted by The Guardian, showed that the meeting also had in attendance high chiefs of Ikire, the lawmaker representing Osun West Senatorial District, Olalere Oyewumi, and one of the relatives of the victims of the incident.

Oyewumi, who spoke at the meeting, said the timely intervention of a police officer mitigated the violence, alleging that the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) almost plunged the community into chaos.

HOWEVER, the Centre for Redefining Alternative Civic Engagement for Africa (RACE Centre), a feminist organisation working at the intersection of gender justice and technology accountability, has documented 51 incidents of Online Gender-Based Violence (OGBV) against women during the Osun State governorship election.

The organisation, in its post-election report released yesterday, said the incidents were recorded between August 1 and 16, 2026, using its AI-enabled Online GBV Tracker.

It said the attacks targeted not only the four women who appeared on the ballot but also female voters, mobilisers, party officials and agents, INEC/Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) officials, and civil society actors.

According to the report, voters and mobilisers constituted the largest category of targets, accounting for 51.9 per cent of recorded incidents, followed by party officials and agents at 26.9 per cent.

Candidates accounted for 9.6 per cent of the incidents, despite only four women contesting as either governorship or deputy governorship candidates in the election.

Executive Director of RACE Centre, Evelyn Ugbe, described the findings as evidence that online gender-based violence was being used as a tool of political suppression during the election.

Ugbe said the fact that many perpetrators used identifiable accounts without facing consequences pointed to a culture of impunity, while criticising technology firms and Nigeria’s electoral framework for failing to adequately protect women from digital violence.

She, therefore, called for urgent action ahead of the 2027 elections, including stronger content moderation, better reporting mechanisms and greater accountability for perpetrators.
IN another development, Osun State Government yesterday set up a 10-member committee to verify claims by victims of election-related violence and determine beneficiaries of its N500 million relief fund.

The committee, chaired by the Speaker of the state’s House of Assembly, Adewale Olumide Egbedun, is expected to establish the authenticity of claims and recommend appropriate assistance to verified victims.

However, Osun State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Tajudeen Lawal, has raised the alarm over a possible attempt by the state government to create fresh tension at local councils across the state.

Lawal’s warning is coming after a recent statement by the Osun State Government alleging that some stakeholders were planning to cause crises at local councils and motor parks following the August 15, 2026 governorship election.