Tension erupted at an election ground in Ife, Osun State, on Saturday morning after a 56-second video showed members of the public fleeing as policemen confronted people at the scene of the governorship election.
The handheld footage, recorded at what the woman behind the camera identified as Modakeke Ward 10, showed several people moving hurriedly across an open, grassy area beside a low building. Uniformed police officers were visible as the crowd dispersed amid angry reactions and loud curses.
The woman alleged that the policemen had fired teargas after election materials arrived at the voting location. She condemned the officers while recording the unfolding scene in Yoruba.
“Why will police fire teargas at people?” she asked.
She alleged that there had been no fight or disturbance before the officers began firing the chemical agent.
She further claimed that the action forced National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members and other electoral officials to leave the area for their safety, alongside the election materials.
“Now all the corps members and other electoral officers have run away for their safety alongside with the election materials,” she said.
The footage later moved towards a roadside where several policemen were gathered around a silver-coloured car. The officers appeared to be confronting or attempting to control people around the vehicle as the tense situation continued.
The recording was shaky throughout, consistent with a hurried attempt to document the incident as it unfolded. The video did not independently establish what prompted the police action, whether teargas was actually discharged or whether anyone was injured.
The woman, however, insisted that there was no disturbing incident that justified the reported use of teargas. She accused the officers of abandoning their duty to protect voters and electoral personnel.
The incident occurred as Osun residents voted to elect the governor, amidst heightened security across the state.
The police had deployed officers for the election and warned political actors against intimidation, thuggery, and other electoral offences.
The circumstances surrounding the Ife incident, including the reason for the police presence and the alleged discharge of teargas, could not be independently established from 56 second footage alone.
No official police explanation was contained in the material reviewed at the time of publication.
