Ekiti by-election: Senator Olujimi escapes death as thugs unleash mayhem, voters fear dead, others injured

Gunmen on Saturday unleashed mayhem at voting centres at Omuo-Ekiti, during the House of Assembly by-election in Ekiti East Constituency 1 conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The position became vacant following the death of an All Progressives Congress lawmaker in the State House of Assembly, Hon Juwa Adegbuyi.

The ugly scene led to the killing of three persons, including a policewoman.

The Ekiti state police command has already confirmed the situation.

Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Sunday Abutu, who confirmed the incident said that six persons were shot.

Besides shootings and killings, there were also reported cases of ballot snatching in ward Ward 9 unit 008 in the constituency.

According to a statement made available to newsmen by the PPRO in Ado-Ekiti on Saturday; “Today, some hoodlums attacked ward 7 unit 7 during the House of Assembly bye-election. In the process, six people were injured, among them were two policemen and one National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) member who are currently receiving treatment in Ikole General Hospital”.

Abutu said the state Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has, however, given a directive that all the suspects involved must be apprehended and brought to book.

However, eyewitness confirmed that aside from the policewoman who was gunned down, others who were mowed down by the dare-devil thugs were a 50-year old Bola Adebisi and 35-year old Tunde Ogunleye.

It was gathered that the situation created bedlam in the community as people were running helter-skelter to avoid being shot by the rampaging thugs.

Two police officers, an officer of the Federal Road Safety Commission, a Corps member and presiding officer, as well as one other, were also shot during the crisis and are now in critical conditions in the hospital.

The election had just started barely two hours when the violence erupted, which forced voters, INEC officials and security agents to stop the election abruptly as they had to scamper to safety to prevent being caught in the web of violence.

The Senator representing Ekiti South Senatorial District, Mrs Biodun Olujimi, said she narrowly escaped being shot as political thugs invaded her polling unit at ward 7 unit 007 and the federal lawmaker had to be ferried out of the polling unit by party supporters.

Relating her experience to newsmen, Mrs Biodun Olujimi, said the election started peacefully in her unit before some APC thugs and compromised police officers started disrupting the voting process

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