A yet to be identified person was reportedly killed by suspected political thugs in Ikere-Ekiti, headquarters of Ikere Local Government Area of Ekiti, while four sustained injuries during the local government election on Saturday.
It was gathered that the incident occurred at ward 08, unit 002 at Okitiko in Aramomi area of the town when some gun-wielding thugs stormed the polling unit, firing gunshot sporadically into the air with a view to snatching ballot boxes. An eye-witness confirmed to journalist that one person was killed and four others injured by stray bullets shot by the dare-devil thugs when some youths resisted the thugs.
โSome able-bodied political thugs came to the polling unit while voting was going on. They shot sporadically to scare voters and electoral officers in order to snatch the ballot boxes. So, in the process of escaping with the ballot boxes, the thugs were resisted by some youths resulting to the death of one personโ, he said.
Apart from the man that was shot, about four people were wounded and the SIEC officials had to take to their heels. The boys came to snatch ballot and when they were resisted, they started shooting one person was killed in the process.โ
He said four others who sustained injuries have been taken to the hospital for intensive medical attention.
The police Public Relations Officer, Ekiti Command, Sunday Abutu, said he has not been briefed as of the time of filing this report.
The election which commenced on peaceful note witnessed low turnout of voters across the 16 local governments before the exercise turned bloody.
The Commissioner of Police in Ekiti State, Amba Asuquo, had before the elections assured residents of the state of the safety of their lives and property as adequate personnel would be drafted for the polls.
During the election, business outlets and commercial cyclists were seen plying major roads despite the restriction order announced by the police between 8am and 2pm.
The election, which was to elect the 16 local government chairmen and 177 councilors, was peaceful and devoid of violence in most part of the state.
The Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Hon. Funminiyi Afuye, who voted at St Johns Primary School in Ikere Ekiti declared support for e-voting electoral system, saying he was ready to support any action that will improve the countryโs electioneering.
Afuye described the local government election as peaceful and devoid of actions that could truncate free and fair outcome. โThough the turnout was a little bit low, but it was peaceful. The reason could not have been unconnected with the impression by the Peopleโs Democratic Party that the All Progressives Congress will win all the seats, but Governor Kayode Fayemi believes in democracy and allows free and fair process. Unlike in the past when local government elections were like wars, this one is free and fair, we donโt believe in violence. If you have something to showcase, you have no reason to be violent. No incidence of intimidation. Both the PDP and APC are mobilising for this electionโ, he said.
