One person was reported to have been killed while several others were injured as supporters of the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party clashed at the Kakuri Kurmin-Gwari area of Kaduna State.
The injured, it was gathered, were rushed to St. Gerard’s Catholic Hospital, a few metres to the clash scene.
In the melee, several vehicles within the vicinity were smashed and set ablaze by the rioters.
The incident, our correspondents gathered, happened at about 4pm shortly after the APC governorship campaign rally ahead of the Saturday polls.
The Kakuri area, Kaduna South Local Government, is the stronghold of the PDP.
It was learnt that trouble started when the APC supporters came to the area for campaign and allegedly rained abusive words on the PDP.
“We don’t know why the APC people should be threatening everybody in these areas. They came yesterday (Tuesday) and moved around this place, abusing those that do not belong to their party.
“One person was killed in the clash, but the death toll would have been more if not for the quick intervention of the police, soldiers and other security agents that took over the areas, and stopped the escalation of the clash,” an eyewitness, who pleaded anonymity, said.
The Kaduna State Police Command confirmed the incident.
When contacted, the spokesman for the command, DSP Yakubu Sabo, who said he was attending a programme in Zaria, directed one of our correspondents to his deputy.
“I am currently attending a programme at the Nigeria Military School Zaria but let me send you my 2ic’s number to contact him for update please,” he said.
When contacted, the deputy spokesman, ASP Nafi’u Habib, who confirmed the incident, said, “Yes today (Wednesday) at about 1430hrs. while a political rally of a state House of Assembly candidate of the APC was going on around Kakuri area, there was a clash between thugs believed to be supporters of the opposition party and that of the APC. However, on receipt of such information the police mobilised to the area and restored normalcy. Efforts are on to apprehend the perpetrators of the violence.”