From Emmanuel Adeyemi, Lokoja
Six members of staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), including corps members, who were abducted by armed thugs during last Saturday’s governorship and state House of Assembly elections in Kogi, have been rescued by the police.
The INEC staff were said to have been abducted on their way from Kupa while coming to Lokoja, the state capital, but were repelled by police escort.
Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer, Willy Aya, in a statement, said the armed thugs attacked the INEC staff at Obajana, stressing that 98 other people were rescued, while some sustained bullet wounds.
The statement reads: “On Sunday, March 19, 2023, INEC officials and ad hoc staff came under heavy attack by armed hoodlums at Obajana, while on their way from Kupa North and South Wards to the Constituency Collation Centre in Lokoja.
“The police escort attached to the team responded robustly and engaged the hoodlums in a fierce gun duel.
“On receipt of the distress call, reinforcement teams were promptly mobilised to the scene which equally engaged the attackers, and owing to the superior fire power of the police, the attackers were forced to flee with varying degrees of injuries.
“The Commissioner of Police in charge of election in Kogi State, Yekini Ayoku, led the rescue team to the scene for on-the-spot assessment. He later led the evacuation of the 96 rescued victims, comprising INEC officials, ad hoc staff, bus drivers and others to the INEC headquarters in Lokoja.
“While the three injured victims were evacuated to the Federal Medical Centre Lokoja for treatment.
“The Commissioner of Police has, accordingly, ordered the deployment of operational and tactical assets of the force, to embark on thorough combing of the general area, with a view to apprehending the attackers and to rescue the two victims yet to be accounted for.
“The CP further tasked the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Criminal Investigation Department, to commence thorough investigation with a view to apprehending the miscreants and bring them to deserved justice.
“The commissioner of police, while commending the gallantry displayed by the men of the force, urged members of the public, particularly the adjoining communities, to be on the lookout and report anybody seen with bullet wounds to the nearest security formation or agencies.
“He assured the public that the police will not rest on its oars in the fight against criminality in the state.”