Incidents Of Violence Reported During Local Govt Elections In Nigeria

Violence and killings were reported in different Nigerian states during local government elections held on Saturday.

All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign coordinator, Chisom Lennard, who was kidnapped on gubernatorial election day, was found dead on Saturday. On the same day, the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Peter Nweke, was attacked by thugs in Ebonyi State, and on Sunday he was announced dead.

Talking about Lennard's case, he was reportedly kidnapped by thugs, who were dressed as policemen, when he was going to vote in the governorship and state House of Assembly elections.

According to multiple reports, the campaign coordinator was at Ibagwa polling unit 2 ward 10 in Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State. The kidnapping took place after Lennard tried to stop the gunmen from taking away the election material from the ward.

Darlington Nwauju, who serves as State APC Publicity Secretary, confirmed the same to Punch.

"He was abducted from his polling unit during the voting process and taken away," Nwauju told the outlet. "Nobody knew where they took him to. It was later in the evening of Saturday that his body was discovered. He was APC LGA caretaker chairman and was a Ph.D. student at the Rivers State University."

Lennard's body was found with multiple bullet shots in Ahoada.

Nweke, on the other hand, was beaten brutally by thugs in Ebonyi during the elections, held on Saturday. Police spokesperson Onome Onovwakpoyeya confirmed Nweke's death on Sunday.

Nweke was beaten up and taken to the hospital in an unconscious state. The doctor pronounced later that he was dead, as per Onovwakpoyeya, Daily Post reported.

Onovwakpoyeya further shared that an investigation has been launched and police will arrest those responsible for this incident.

Nweke's brother Samson, who works as a human rights activist, said that his brother was beaten to a coma, revealing that the thugs had AK-47 rifles when they invaded the polling booth 10 in Ogboji ward.

Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which is responsible for overseeing Nigerian elections, also shared via Twitter on Sunday that thugs invaded the Obingwa Local Government Area office.

"Thugs have invaded our Obingwa Local Government Area office in Abia State," INEC tweeted. "Security agencies have been alerted. The Commission is monitoring the situation and will issue a statement shortly."

The Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Barrister Festus Okoye addressed the press on Sunday, noting that there were "difficult and unforeseen circumstances outside its control."

He further shared that they "did its best to respond, especially where processes were disrupted by actors over whom we have little or no control. Such diabolical behavior did affect not only citizens but also impacted the Commission's officials and processes."

Okoye noted that INEC staff has been victims of violence, revealing some of them "were abducted, harassed, intimidated, hospitalized and in one case killed."

"We are keeping our eyes on those areas and would not hesitate to remobilize where the outcome of the election is affected," he added.