Police arrest officer over tear gas discharge during Osun election

The Osun State Police Command has arrested an officer accused of accidentally discharging tear gas at a Registration Area Centre (RAC) during Saturday’s governorship election in Modakeke, Ife East Local Government Area.

A video circulating on social media showed tear gas being discharged at the location, with a narrator alleging in Yoruba that police officers had fired the gas at a polling unit without provocation.

However, the police command clarified that the incident occurred at an RAC, not a polling unit.

In a statement, the command said the officer had been deployed to the RAC and accidentally discharged the tear gas while attempting to ease himself.

The police described the incident as negligent and said it fell below the standard expected of officers of the Nigeria Police Force.

“The officer involved has been immediately apprehended. A thorough investigation is ongoing to determine the full circumstances of the incident and to establish whether there were any other motives behind the action,” the command said.

The police also stated that officers deployed for election duties are prohibited from carrying arms within a specified radius of polling units.

It dismissed claims that the incident was intended to prevent eligible voters from exercising their franchise, describing such allegations as false and misleading.

The command apologised to residents and election stakeholders who were affected or inconvenienced by the incident.

It added that the officer would face appropriate disciplinary action in line with police regulations.