Osun poll violence: 300 victims seek share of N500m relief fund

• Widow recounts husband’s killing before panel

From Lateef Dada, Osogbo

More than 300 victims of violence associated with the August 15 Osun State governorship election have submitted claims for compensation from the N500 million relief fund established by the state government.

The Osun State Election Violence Victims Relief Committee has begun verifying the claims to determine genuine beneficiaries of the fund.

Governor Ademola Adeleke had inaugurated the 10-member committee to identify victims and supervise distribution of the money.

Chairman of the committee and Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Adewale Egbedun, said at the commencement of verification and cross-examination that every claim would be subjected to rigorous scrutiny. He assured victims that the exercise would be conducted with fairness, transparency and compassion, with each case assessed on available evidence.

“On behalf of the committee, I assure all genuine victims that their cases will receive the attention they deserve. We will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that the relief process is credible, just and meaningful,” Egbedun said.

He urged claimants to provide accurate information and relevant supporting documents.

At its first sitting, the committee heard an emotional account from Ajayi Tolulope, whose husband, Ajayi Rogba, was allegedly killed in Esa-Oke, Obokun Local Government Area, in the run-up to the election.

Tolulope told the panel that armed men opened fire on her husband after they encountered a Sienna vehicle occupied by two armed men.

“We saw a Sienna with two occupants, each holding two guns. They fired four shots.

“Rogba was wearing an Accord Party cap that day. We have five children in our care—two are mine, one belongs to his second wife, and two belong to his younger siblings.

He was a practising herbalist, survived by his parents,” she said.

She further alleged that her husband had repeatedly been trailed after declining an invitation to join the All Progressives Congress (APC).