Osogbo, Nigeria — A civil society organisation, Kimpact Development Initiative (KDI), has raised the alarm over a sharp escalation of electoral violence in Osun State, just weeks before the state’s governorship election scheduled for August 15, 2026.

In a statement issued Thursday in Osogbo and signed by its Executive Director, Bukola Idowu, KDI disclosed that their monitoring teams documented 44 election-related violent incidents across the state between October 2025 and June 2026, resulting in 13 deaths, multiple injuries, and widespread destruction of property. The group’s Election Security Risk Assessment (ESRA) also tracked 24 non-election-related violent incidents in the same period, which claimed 23 additional lives  painting a picture of a state under mounting security strain as political activity intensifies.

According to the report, the violence is not evenly spread across the monitoring period. KDI found that 26 of the 44 verified election-related incidents  representing 59.1 percent of the total  occurred in just two months, May and June 2026, a concentration the group described as a “significant early warning signal” demanding urgent intervention.

The hotspots, KDI said, are concentrated in Osogbo Local Government Area, particularly the Olaiya, Oke Fia, and Aregbe axis, alongside Owode Ede, where residents have reported shootings, intimidation, property destruction, and violent confrontations.

The statement also referenced a tragic case underscoring the human cost of the unrest: the death of 14-year-old Ezekiel Olapade, who was fatally wounded during a violent incident in Ilobu, Irepodun Local Government Area, on June 21, 2026. KDI condemned the killing and called for a “prompt, impartial, and transparent investigation,” insisting that those responsible be held accountable regardless of political affiliation.

KDI Sets Up Peace Committee

In response, KDI announced the establishment of the Osun State Peace and Mediation Working Committee (SPMWC), a multi-stakeholder platform bringing together political actors, security agencies, INEC, traditional and religious leaders, youth and women’s groups, the media, and civil society to support dialogue, mediation, and early-warning response before, during, and after the polls.

The organisation stressed that the committee is not a substitute for the statutory roles of INEC or security agencies but a “complementary civic peace infrastructure” aimed at de-escalating tension in identified hotspots.

Calls to Action

KDI issued a series of appeals to key stakeholders: political parties and candidates were urged to publicly commit to peaceful, issue-based campaigning and rein in supporters; security agencies were called on to deploy intelligence-led, proportionate measures in hotspot areas and investigate all reported incidents without political bias; while INEC was urged to sustain voter education and transparent communication to curb misinformation.

KDI also appealed to traditional rulers, religious and community leaders to use their moral authority to discourage youth involvement in political violence, and urged the media and online influencers to “report responsibly… and avoid headlines, images, or commentaries that could inflame tension.”

The Executive Director, Bukola Idowu, closed his statement with a direct appeal to citizens to reject inducements toward violence or vote-buying and to report threats through lawful channels, warning that the credibility of Osun’s democratic process  and the safety of its people hangs in the balance as the August election approaches.