Connect with us

Metro

Edo Election Tribunal: Political Thugs Clash, Sporadic Gunshots Near INEC Office Hinder Materials Inspection

Published

on

Clash between suspected supporters of the two major contenders in the outcome of the Edo State governorship election – the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP ) – around Ikpoba River, about 700 metres from the state INEC head office today, Thursday, October 10, 2024, hindered the scheduled inspection of electoral materials used at the poll.

The clash, characterised by sporadic gunshots from suspected political thugs near the INEC head office, Benin City, tensed up the atmosphere in the area, which led to the adjournment of inspection of electoral materials sine a die.

Recall that the inspection exercise which was billed to commence on Wednesday could not hold as planned following an objection raised by the All Progressives Congress (APC) against the inspection process, which was scheduled to kick start with BIVAS Machines.

Advertisement

READ ALSO: CSOs, Media Meet, Review Edo Election, Yiaga Insists Poll Failed Integrity Test

The APC, while insisting that the exercise should commence with Voters Register rather than BIVAS, later argued that since they were served with the schedule few minutes to the inspection, they did not come for the inspection with their copy of the register, hence, the exercise was adjourned to Thursday, October 10, 2024(today).

However, at Thursday’s inspection outing, trouble started when the exercise was about to commence. State Chairman of the APC, Emperor Jarrett Tenebe, drew attention of the INEC Director of Operations to a petition, alleging that BIVAS machines and Voters Registers were on Wednesday brought into the INEC complex with vehicles from the state government house.

Advertisement

The party argued, amongst others that, its petition should be addressed before commencing inspection of materials, an argument which was sternly rejected by representatives of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who insisted on the commencement of materials inspection.

READ ALSO: Edo Election: APC Raises Alarm Over Alleged Plot To Burn Down INEC Office

The PDP posited that the petition was frivolous, baseless and lacking the truth, cannot supercede a valid court order and called for the commencement of the inspection.

Advertisement

Owing to the inability of the political parties particularly the APC and its counterpart PDP to agree on the way forward, the electoral commission then adjourned the materials inspection sine die.

Speaking to newsmen shortly after the adjournment, Counsel to the APC, Barr. Victor Ohionsumua, said that the APC would only return for the inspection of the materials only when their petition is addressed.

He said: “The state APC Chairman this morning, (Thursday) submitted a petition to the state INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr. Onuoha Anugbum, the Commissioner of Police and Department of State Services (DSS) in Edo that he noticed and saw BIVAS machines and Voters’ Register entering INEC complex a few days ago with Edo State Government vehicles.

Advertisement

“And on the basis of that, we raised the objection that the petition has to be determined first before we can go ahead of the materials inspection. The INEC legal officer wanted to go ahead with inspection without any directives from the state Dr. Anugbum.

“We insisted that we must hear from the REC and our petition must be determined before we move forward. In the process, the place (INEC office) became rowdy and we started hearing gunshots outside the complex.

“The INEC Director of Operations then said that because of security reasons as our lives are in danger, decided to adjourn the inspection sine die and he has not told us to come back tomorrow (Friday),” he added.

Advertisement

As at the time of filing this story, efforts to get PDP position on the inspection argument proved abortive as neither the party state chairman nor council to the party and the governorship candidate refused to comment.

 

Advertisement

Metro

Residents Flee Kogi Community Over Fear Of Bandit Attacks

Published

on

Hundreds of residents of Okunran village in Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State have deserted their homes following persistent attacks by armed bandits.

A viral video circulating on social media showed the once-bubbling community completely deserted, with houses abandoned and streets empty.

Okunran, once a bubbling town, is now a ghost town,” a resident said.

Advertisement

The villagers said they fled to escape incessant kidnappings, killings, and ransom demands that have plagued the community.

READ ALSO:Army Kills Notorious Bandit, Babangida, In Kogi

The government has failed us, security agencies have failed us. If we remain here, we will be consumed by bandits. We are tired of paying ransom and contributing money for bandits,” said Akin Samuel, a fleeing resident.

Advertisement

The Guardian learnt that neighbouring communities, including Okoloke and Egbe, are also considering leaving if the attacks persist.

The abduction of the first-class traditional ruler of Okoloke, 90-year-old Pa. Dada James Ogunyanda, in May 2025, deepened the climate of fear in the area. Although he was released after a ransom was paid, the monarch has refused to return to his palace.

A native of Okunran, Auwal Maroof, who now lives in Lokoja, said the decision to flee became inevitable.

Advertisement

READ ALSO:One Dead, Five Injured In Kogi Road Crash

We have been praying for God’s intervention, but the insecurity persists to the point that fleeing was the only option to stay alive,” he said.

Egbe, the commercial hub of Yagba, is feared to be vulnerable due to its close connection with neighbouring Kwara State, where the bandits are suspected to be coming from.

Advertisement

Local sources report that at least 10 people, including seven police officers and three civilians, were killed by bandits in Yagba within one week this month.

The Chairman of Yagba East Local Government recently imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew in a bid to contain the crisis, while the Kogi State government and the senator representing the district have pledged to rid the area of bandits.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Metro

18 Dead, Dozens Missing In Zamfara Mine Collapse

Published

on

Rescuers in Nigeria are searching for dozens of people missing after a boulder crashed onto an illegal mine during heavy rains, killing at least 18 people, local sources told AFP on Saturday.

The rock came crashing down on Thursday on the mine in the northern Zamfara state outside the Kadauri village in the Maru district, they said.

“We have managed to pull out 18 dead bodies from the pit and five other survivors who sustained various degrees of injuries,” Sani Lawwali, a miner who works in unauthorised pits, said from Kadauri.

Advertisement

A dozen other miners were still trapped inside and their fate remained unknown, said Lawwali, who took part in the rescue effort.

READ ALSO:

“The process is slow and laborious as we use our bare hands to chisel the end of the boulder to make holes for limited access into the pit,” he said.

Advertisement

Rescuers have asked for a bulldozer being used at a nearby road construction site to be brought in to help, but had not yet received a response from the company using it, Lawwali added.

Abubakar Nabube, a local community leader, confirmed the death toll of 18. He said that 15 of those killed came from the nearby Maikwanugga and Damaga villages.

If no help comes from emergency agencies soon, none of those trapped would come out alive,” he said.

Advertisement

READ ALSO:Bandits Attack Mosque In Zamfara, Kill, Abduct Worshippers

Zayyanu Ibrahim, a resident of Kadauri village said the collapse occurred at one of several newly dug sites in the recently established mining site.

“Dozens of miners were working in the pit while it heavily rained outside. A huge boulder at the mouth of the pit collapsed and buried miners inside,” said Ibrahim, who also confirmed the toll.

Advertisement

Sani Abdullahi, a councillor in the area, said it was difficult to say how many people there were in the pit at the time of the accident.

READ ALSO:Zamfara Gov Disburses ₦322m To Support 8,225 Schoolgirls

Officials from the Nigerian emergency agency NEMA did not respond to an AFP enquiry about the accident.

Advertisement

Zamfara, a poor agrarian state, is rich in gold deposits where illegal artisanal mining thrives in the countryside, despite several attempts by authorities to stop the practice.

The authorities have blamed illegal mining for the worsening of bandit violence, with criminal gangs getting money from protection fees they extort from miners.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Metro

Police Confirm Abduction Of 17 Passengers Along Calabar Waterway

Published

on

The Police Command in Cross River has confirmed the abduction of 17 passengers by sea pirates along the Calabar Waterways.

The command’s Deputy Public Relations Officer, DSP Igri Ewa, who made the confirmation on Saturday in Calabar, said that the passengers were abducted on Thursday.

Ewa said that the command had already swung into action to ensure the ‘immediate and prompt’ rescue of the abductees.

Advertisement

According to the police spokesperson, a serving police officer in Akwa Ibom and a popular politician in Cross River who were on board the boat narrowly escaped abduction.

READ ALSO:Six Arrested For Alleged Killing Of Police Constable In Bayelsa

A passenger who preferred anonymity told newsmen that the boat was attacked a few minutes after take-off from Oron en route Calabar.

Advertisement

They stopped our boat, transferred some passengers to their boat, and when their boat was full, they took off.

“When we arrived at the Inland Waterways Jetty, we were thoroughly quizzed by the police. Our statements were later taken before we were allowed to go home.”

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending