Several feared killed as gunmen attack communities in Kogi

Scores have been feared killed after gunmen on Sunday invaded communities in Oganenigu Ward of Dekina Local Government Area (LGA) of Kogi State.

Sources say the invaders stormed the communities shooting sporadically, and burning hundreds of houses in the early morning raid.

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Oganenigu Ward chairman, James Adah, was among those killed in the attack.

Many residents are said to have fled the communities in the wake of the assault even as it remains unclear what the reason behind the invasion was, a media report said.

Though the Police Command in the state is yet to issue any official statement, as at the time of filing this report, the state government was said to have been reacting to the disturbing development.

In a statement on Monday, Governor Yahaya Bello called for calm over the attacks, describing the “vile and satanic attack as a calculated assault on the peace-loving people of Oganenigu who have enjoyed relative peace and security for years”.

Governor Bello said his administration will continue to face out crisis entrepreneurs from the state and ensure that those involved shall be brought to book under the laws.

The Kogi State Governor assured that his administration was committed to using resources to hunt down criminals and make them pay for their crimes.

Governor Bello described the unexpected development as shocking while assuring that his administration will commit every available resource to hunt down the criminal actors and make them pay.

He stated that the government would never bow to the machinations of heartless elements in its resolves to rid the state of criminals.

He commiserated with the people in Oganenigu, particularly the family of the slain Oganenigu APC ward chairman, Hon James Adah and others affected by this ugly and unfortunate attack while urging the people to remain calm.

The governor, however, advised the people not to take laws into their hands as security agencies have been swiftly mobilised and deployed to the troubled areas to restore normalcy.
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[4/3, 5:03 PM] Prince Bashir Adefaka: Gunshots as APC, PDP members clash in Port Harcourt over inspection of electoral materials

Gunshots were heard on Monday when members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State clashed in Port Harcourt, the state capital over the inspection of electoral materials.

Trouble, according to a report by Channels Television online, started when the APC Governorship Candidate in the March 18 poll, Tonye Cole and members of his party arrived the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the state capital to inspection of materials used in the last election in the state.

However, Cole was forced to turn back by members of PDP who were already on ground at the INEC office before his arrival.

The situation caused pandemonium as the PDP members demanded the joint inspection of election results and the Certified True Copies of result sheets for the just-concluded 2023 general elections.

The PDP protesters had blocked both the waterlines and GRA areas of Aba road, the two major access points to the INEC head office. No car was able to drive through that stretch of Aba road from the ground lanes, while those on the GRA flyover are trapped because there is no exit route.

The PDP protest was led by the Deputy Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Edison Ehie who was re-elected in the March 18 election and Samuel Nwanosike, the Chairman of the Ikwerre Local Government Area.

Though the party won the governorship and State Assembly elections, the Deputy Speaker of the Assembly who jointly led the protest, demanded that INEC grant the party a joint inspection of the materials used in conducting the March 18 elections.

The protesters believed that their demand would introduce the level of transparency needed to forestall unnecessary litigations and arguments.

Apart from the demand for joint inspection of materials, some inscriptions on the placards displayed during the protest also request INEC to make available the Certified True Copies of results.