Normalcy has returned to Akure, the Ondo State capital, following the gunshots that disrupted the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election for the Ondo Central Senatorial District held on Monday.

The chaos, which triggered panic in some parts of the metropolis, had motorists and traders scampering for safety amid fears that armed robbers had invaded the area.

The incident, which occurred at Ward 5, Ebenezer African Church Primary School, Amudipe Street, during the party’s senatorial primary, saw residents around the scene say the sporadic gunshots initially sparked confusion, with many assuming the city was under a robbery attack.

The false alarm, which spread within the city, forced numerous business owners to shut their shops while commuters hurriedly abandoned the area.

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.

Particularly, security operatives were also seen stationed around the Ondo Central collation center at St. Peter’s Unity Secondary School, Akure, as party officials continued collation activities under tight surveillance.

The restoration of calm followed 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.”

He added that the situation had been brought under control and that normalcy had since returned to the affected areas, urging residents to remain calm and avoid spreading unverified information capable of causing unnecessary panic.

Abayomi also appealed to members of the public with useful information concerning the incident to cooperate with security agencies by reporting through the nearest police station or official emergency channels.