… 1 killed as thugs destroy INEC materials

By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja

FOLLOWING alleged thuggery activities during the Presidential and National Assembly Elections in Kogi state on Saturday, one person was reported to have been killed in Anyigba, Dekina Local Government Area.

The Nigerian Pilot reports that the elections which started on peaceful note in most parts of the 21 Local Government Areas of the state turned violent few hours later, with political thugs snatching and destroying electoral materials in some polling units.

Dekina Local Government and parts of Ofu Local Government Area were said to be in turmoil as the thugs unleashed mayhem on electorate ,sending the voters back home “in their own interests” in Anyigba, Dekina town and Abocho.

Same was said to be the case in Ejule, Umomi and Okele communities in Ofu Local Government in the east senatorial District where the electorate were alleged to have been forced to vote a particular political party or go back home, leading to disenfranchisement.

Ata Ojochenemi popularly called “Akahiaba”, a graduate of Prince Abubakar Audu University, Anyigba, who completed his youth service a few months ago lost his life to the February 25, Presidential and National Assembly Elections .

He was said to have been an APC agent at Iji polling unit, Anyigba, in the election but went to “defend votes” for his party at KSU polling unit where he was gunned down.

Eye witness accounts said that the deceased actually went to snatch ballot boxes and destroys electoral materials in another polling unit and paid the ultimate price.

At Udaba-Dekina, ballot boxes were allegedly destroyed by unknown gunmen said to have been sponsored by a woman politician while Tudunwada polling unit, also in Dekina, was destroyed by another group.

Voting however went smoothly in Egume, Ojikpadala, Abejulo – Egume, Acharu and other parts of Dekina Local Government.

Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has cancelled the voting seven polling units of Dekina and Omala Local Government Areas in Kogi East Senatorial District.

Two polling units were cancelled in Anyigba while the other five were in the Omala community of the state following sudden violent attacks by thugs who shot into the air and disrupted the polling units.