ELECTION VIOLENCE :Taraba SSG’s house sets ablaze by hoodlums

Secretary to Taraba State Government, Timothy Kataps house and that of

the member of the State House of Assembly representing Saudana

constituency, Mr. Abel Dia, in Mbamga village in Gembu town were on

Monday burnt down by some hoodlums protesting election results in the

state.

The hoodlums also razed down the home of Kataps' predecessor, Mr.

Emmanuel Njiwa. All of them are from Mambilla.

The main reason for the incident were still sketchy, but it was learnt

that the SSG and the ex-deputy speaker who were in the area at the

time reportedly went into hiding to escape being killed.

The youths, it was learnt, were trying to prevent electoral officers

to take the results of Mbamgar constituency to the collation centre in

Jalingo, the state capital.

This, it was learnt, snowballed into a crisis which prevented INEC

electoral officers to take the results of Sardauna Local Government

Area to the INEC headquarters in Jalingo for final declaration of the

governorship result.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Joseph Kwaji, who

confirmed the incident, said some youths supporting an unnamed

political party were responsible for the action.

He was quoted to have said, "Our men have moved there to calm the

situation. I am yet to ascertain the level of casualties in the area."

It was learnt that the incident led to the rescheduling of the

election in the local government.

The council's Returning Officer, Kyari Muhammed, said the election in

Donga was characterised by fraudulent processes.

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