Armed operatives of the Nigeria Police Force on Thursday fired gunshots and teargas to disperse residents of Ede, Osun State, at Elerin Community during the unveiling of a project by the Chairman of Ede North Local Government, Elliott Adeyemi.
Adeyemi, who was elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, was performing the ceremony when the incident occurred.
However, the chairman of the council elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, Taiwo Amodu, accused the police operatives deployed to the venue of attacking residents and alleged that some vehicles were damaged during the incident.
The development is connected to the ongoing dispute over the control of local government councils in the state.
While chairmen elected on the platform of the APC in the October 15, 2022 local government elections have been managing the affairs of the councils since February 2025, those elected on the platform of the PDP in the February 22, 2025 elections have been relating with the state government.
In a video shared on a Facebook page, Osogbo Updates, and said to have been recorded at the scene, armed police operatives were seen firing teargas at people wearing yellow caps associated with the Accord Party.
The dispersed party members were later seen regrouping and moving back towards the venue of the event.
Amodu said the project originated from a decision taken during his tenure as caretaker chairman to boost the council’s Internally Generated Revenue.
According to him, a committee made up of the Head of the Local Government, civil servants, representatives of Ede youths, Ede descendants and officials from the ministry was set up to lease some council properties and use the proceeds to develop a piece of land belonging to the local government.
He explained that the committee was already handling the project before he left office to contest the election but that work stalled after council workers embarked on strike.
Amodu added that after the workers resumed duties and the committee returned to the site to continue work, they were allegedly stopped by Adeyemi.
He further stated that the Timi of Ede, Oba Adesola Lawal, later intervened and appealed for calm among the parties involved.
According to him, residents became agitated after learning that APC members planned to perform a flag-off ceremony at the site despite the monarch’s earlier call for peace.
He alleged that the police officers deployed to the area later fired teargas at the people, during which some vehicles were damaged. NAN
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