Six people were allegedly feared missing after unknown gunmen attacked six Hummer buses carrying officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Kogi State in the early hours of yesterday.
The incident, which occurred around 2am, yesterday, at Abajana, left several INEC officials with gunshot wounds, including policemen and drivers. The six missing people include two serving National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) corps members and four ex-corpers.
The injured people were already on admission at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), now Federal University Teaching Hospital, Lokoja.
One of the bus drivers, Mr Salisu Ibrahim, who was shot on his right leg, and recuperating at the hospital, said the attackers took them by surprise.
“We were on our way back to Lokoja from Abujor RAC with the results of the House of Assembly election held there, when we were attacked by some people. All the six buses moving in a convoy were attacked and, in the process, many of us sustained injuries.
“Thank God, none of us died in the process, but I learnt some corps members were missing during the attack on us early this morning,” Ibrahim narrated.
Mr Dare Owofadaju, a youth corps member who was shot on his left thigh, said: “It is only God that kept us alive considering the way and manner the gunmen attacked us.”
Owofadaju said the election was conducted peacefully and counting was completed, and “it was when we were returning to Lokoja that we were attacked at Abajana”.
“Thank God some security operatives came to our rescue and rushed those of us injured to the Federal University Teaching Hospital Lokoja for immediate treatment,” he narrated.
The Commander, Headquarters Command Army Records (CAR), Maj-Gen. Sunday Igbinomwanhia, Kogi INEC REC, Dr Hale Longpet, and the Kogi NYSC Coordinator, Mrs Mofoluwaso Williams, have visited the injured in the hospital.
Spokesman of Kogi Police Command, Williams Ovye-Aya, who confirmed the incident, said the police were on top of the situation.
“We are aware of the sad incident and preparing to issue a statement on the attack,” he said.
Also, hoodlums armed with guns and machetes, yesterday morning, attacked the Ogoja Local Government Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) collation centre in Cross River State.
The hoodlums stormed the centre when the result for the House of Assembly election in Ogoja constituency was being announced.
Spokesperson of the Police Command in Cross River, Irene Ugbo, who confirmed the incident, however, said the situation was quickly brought under control. Ugbo said most of the hoodlums have been arrested and were being profiled to ascertain the level of their involvement in the attack.
The Local Government Collation Officer, Dr Paul Bassey, who was injured during the attack and rushed to hospital, described the incident as “barbaric”. Bassey said his laptop and duplicate result sheets were destroyed during the attack.
“One of my colleagues is still being treated in the theatre and I pray he comes out alive as heavy stones and planks were used on him,” he said.
The Electoral Officer for Ogoja Local Government, Mr Peter Kolo, said the hoodlums broke security barriers at the collation centre with the intent of destroying the election results.
“As I speak with you, we have recovered all the results from both the BVAS and uploaded results in the portal and we will soon resume announcing the results from the three remaining wards,” Kolo said.
The State Constituency Collation Officer, Dr Timothy Ellah of the University of Calabar, said he was beaten by the thugs and sustained injury in the process.
“We have, however, recovered all the results and we are ready to resume announcing the results,” Ellah said.
The INEC had already announced the election results of seven out of the 10 wards for Ogoja Assembly seat when the hoodlums attacked the collation centre.