Five killed in election violence

 

Five persons reportedly lost their lives during Saturday’s governorship and National Assembly rerun elections in Kogi State.

It was learnt that in Abocho community in Dekina Local Government Area of the state, two people lost their lives.

Residents gave names of the victims as Umoru Shuaib and Faruk Suleiman.

Witnesses said the incident happened while voting was going at Barrack Polling Unit 1.

Also, in Adankolo Polling Unit in Lokoja, the state capital, the violence that erupted during the exercise left three persons killed.

One of the residents in Abocho said the assailants, “from all indications, came for Umoru Shaibu. They came in a bus when voting was taking place and they were in police uniform. So, we didn’t suspect anything. Umoru had voted and was chatting with Faruk near the poling unit, when the bus drove in.

“None of the occupants, who were in police uniform, alighted from the vehicle. We just heard gunshots and shouts from the victims and onlookers. In the ensuing pandemonium, the attackers drove off.”

Major streets of the town were deserted when Sunday Tribune visited the area. Stones and sticks littered the road, while tyres earlier burnt by youths protesting the attack were still emitting smoke.

Sunday Tribune gathered that the Adankolo incident happened when some hoodlums tried to snatch ballot boxes.

The resistance put up by the voters was said to have led to shooting and killing of two persons. A passerby who was also hit by a stray bullet died too.

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Angered by the action of the hoodlums, some youths in the community reportedly razed down the house of the chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the area who had earlier fled the house

It was gathered that there were also gunshots in some communities in Kogi East shortly after the commencement of voting.

The gunshots were reportedly heard in Emewe Okapda, part of Ajiyolo community in Dekina Local Government.

In Aikpele-Ajaka Polling Unit 002, Igalamela-Odolu Local Government Area, masked armed men reportedly shot sporadically into the air, disrupting the exercise as voters and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) staff took to their heels.

Residents said the assailants snatched ballot boxes and drove away.