Cold war: Many killed in Rivers and Akwa Ibom

More than eight people were politically killed on Saturday in Rivers
and Akwa Ibom states.
Three persons were killed in Buguma, the headquarters of Asari-Toru
Local Government Area of Rivers State with one person reportedly
beheaded by his assailants.
There was also heavy shooting in Gokana, Ikwerre and Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni
Local Government Areas as hoodlums attempted to snatch voting
materials.
In Gokana Local Government Area, four journalists were trapped for
about one and half hours at the Saint Michael's Quasi Parish in B-Dere
community as unknown gunmen forced their way into the church premises
in an attempt to snatch the five ballot boxes available at the polling
units.
Ernest Chinwo ofThisDay, Dapo Falade of theNigerian Tribune, Bunmi
Durojaiye ofCity Peopleand Chukwudi Akasike ofThe PUNCH, who were at
B-Dere Ward 4 in Gokana to monitor the election, escaped death by the
whisker.
The journalists, who drove into the venue at about 1.15pm became
jittery when they tried to escape through the back of the church only
to meet a brick wall in a high fence surrounding the environment.
The policemen were forced to fire canisters of teargas to repel the
irate youths, who were bent on taking the election materials away.
Though, the hoodlums fired shots intermittently from different angles
to scare voters away, the policemen manning the place returned fire
for fire to save the situation.
Two of the hoodlums, who made their way to the ballot boxes and other
election materials were given the beating of their lives by some
members of the B-Dere community.
One of them had a head injury while the other pleaded for mercy until
he was allowed to leave, even as the shooting continued endlessly from
the sides of the premises.
The confusion became worse when one of the indigenes of the area, who
directed the journalists to enter the car that conveyed them to the
ward and changed the directive a minute later.
Security agents immediately led the journalists out of the vicinity to a safe.
Speaking on the incident, the Vice Chairman of the Peoples Democratic
Party (Rivers South East), Dr. Fred Kpakol, attributed the shooting in
B-Dere, Gokana to the handiwork of frustrated politicians in the area.
Kpakol stated that it would be difficult for such politicians to
succeed in snatching ballot boxes and other election materials in the
area, adding that Gokana belongs to the PDP.
"I don't know why some people are so desperate. PDP is firmly on the
ground in this community and Gokana is predominantly PDP. If you are
popular, you will allow the election to hold.
Meanwhile, five persons were feared killed in Akwa Ibom State during
the governorship and state House of Assembly elections on Saturday.
Also, a reporter withRadarNewspaper, a local tabloid in the state, Mr.
Aniedi Ukoenang, was reported missing and his whereabouts unknown as
of the time of this report.
The killings occurred at Ward 5, Unit 14, Mbiabong Etoi and Shelter
Afrique (Uyo); Ndiya in Nsit Ubium; Etim Ekpo and Ini local government
areas of the state.
The reporter was said to have been abducted by the thugs said to be
loyal to the Peoples Democratic Party at Ekpeyong Ufum village, Odoro
Ikot clan, in the Essien Udim Local Government Area.
The publisher of the tabloid, Mr. Franklyn Isong, confirmed the
abduction of the reporter.
The Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Baba Adisa Bolanta, who
monitored the elections in the state, however, said he was unaware of
the number of people killed but that he would contact the Commissioner
of Police, Mr. Gabriel Achong, for details.
When a source contacted Achong, he asked them to contact Bolanta. The
CP said that he was not in charge and so would not be able to comment
on the issue.
"Please contact the AIG, I am not in charge," he said.
Also, the All Progressives Congress in Akwa Ibom State has announced
the boycott of the governorship and state House of Assembly elections
in the state.
The party also called for the cancellation of Saturday's exercise.
The decision by the party to call for the boycott and cancellation of
the elections followed reported instances of hijack of electoral
materials by thugs and armed fake policemen, suspected to be sponsored
by one of the leading parties.
Firstclassnewsline.net