Armed hoodlums stormed a Permanent Voter Card distribution centre in Osun State on Sunday, firing shots into the air and making away with electoral materials in one of the more alarming security incidents recorded ahead of the state's upcoming governorship election.

According to the Osun State Police Command, about ten suspected thugs attacked INEC officials at Oyinlola DC Primary School, Ward 2, in Odo-Otin Local Government Area, where staff were in the process of distributing PVCs to registered voters. Police spokesperson DSP Abiodun Ojelabi said the attackers fired several rounds into the air, forcing electoral officials to flee the scene, before escaping with three packs of PVCs.

The incident carries added weight given its timing. It marks the latest in a series of violent disruptions recorded in the run-up to Osun's August 15 governorship election, a period during which security around electoral logistics has come under increased scrutiny. Confirming further details of the attack, Adedayo Oketola, Chief Press Secretary to INEC's national chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, told reporters that preliminary investigations had also established that some Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices were stolen during the raid โ€” equipment central to voter verification on election day.

Osun's Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gotan, condemned the attack and ordered a comprehensive investigation aimed at identifying, arresting and prosecuting those responsible. Ojelabi said tactical and intelligence assets have since been deployed, with efforts intensified to track down the perpetrators and recover the stolen materials.

The police command also disclosed a separate, though related, security concern in the state, noting that officers had worked to restore order in Ile-Ife after suspected hoodlums caused a disturbance around the Mayfair Garage area, temporarily disrupting activities in the town. Ojelabi reassured residents that the command remains committed to safeguarding lives and property and would continue to carry out its duties professionally and within the confines of the law, while urging anyone with useful information about either incident to report to the nearest police station.

On the electoral side, INEC's Oketola sought to reassure the public that the theft of BVAS devices and voter cards would not disrupt the credibility or conduct of the upcoming poll, noting that the commission maintains backup systems and protocols precisely for scenarios involving lost or stolen equipment. He confirmed that police had already begun a manhunt for the attackers and had given assurances that arrests would follow.

The attack adds to a broader pattern of tension surrounding the Osun governorship race, which has already drawn national political attention in recent weeks. As of the most recent update from INEC's Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, roughly 37.5 percent of PVCs had been collected by registered voters ahead of the election โ€” a figure electoral officials will now be working to protect from further disruption as security agencies intensify their presence around remaining distribution points in the weeks leading up to polling day.