A teenage girl was killed on Saturday during the local government election in Oyo State.
It happened in Idi-Oro/Ayeye areas of Ibadan North West Local Government.
It was learned that some cultists stormed the area and started shooting.
A bullet hit the teenager and she died instantly.
Governor Abiola Ajimobi immediately condemned the killing.
A statement by his Special Adviser on Communication and Strategy, Mr Bolaji Tunji, said the governor was pained by the disturbing news, especially coming on the heels of the conduct of the state’s first local government election in 11 years.
The governor, the statement said, condoled with the family of the victim and vowed to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice.
Ajimobi said: “From the intelligence reports at my disposal, the perpetrators of this heinous and condemnable crime were the recalcitrant cultists engaging in supremacy battle in Idi Oro and Ayeye areas of Ibadan who are yet to embrace our peace initiative.
“That they chose to disturb the peace of the neighbourhood on the day Oyo had a very peaceful LG election across the state is regrettable.
“ I was told that elections took place successfully in the polling booth closest to the scene of the incident without any hitch before the cultists struck.
“I want to use this opportunity to condole with the family of the victim for the irredeemable loss. Let me again warn that those bent on scuttling the peace that we have enthroned across the state in the last seven years will live to regret their action.
“I have directed security agents to ensure that they fish out the perpetrators of the crime and ensure that they are brought to justice. I want to appeal to the good people of Oyo State to join hands with the government to sustain our hard earned peace.”
Ajimobi also expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the council election across the state, saying he was highly impressed with the turnout of voters.
But, contrary to the governor’s position, voter apathy characterised the election across the state with many polling centres deserted.
Mr Cosmos Oni, the Public Relations Officer of the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC), said the commission is not to blame for the low turnout recorded in the local government election.
He told newsmen in Ibadan that the responsibility of mobilising voters to participate in the election was that of the participating political parties and not the commission.
According to him, the main duty of the commission is to conduct free, fair and credible election under a peaceful atmosphere.
”This is what we have achieved today as reports across the 33 local government areas and 35 LCDAs showed that the election was free and fair.
” There was no report of ballot snatching, violence or absence of electoral officers in any polling booth as all went on smoothly as planned.
”The low turnout as being alleged is not the fault of the commission; political parties ought to sensitise and mobilise their members on the need to come out and vote, ” Oni said.
He also refuted reports that some staff of the commission were present in some polling booths without voting materials.
Only the agents of the ruling All Progressives Party (APC) were seen in many of the polling booths visited although presiding officers claimed that 12 parties were contesting in the election.
There was, however, a heavy presence of security operatives in polling booths visited and on major streets across the three senatorial districts.
