ELECTION RELATED CRISIS IN EBONYI STATE

A nine year old boy is in critical condition while a middle aged man has been shot dead as armed men opened fire on nine persons in Election related shooting incidents that occurred in Ishielu and Izzi Local Government Areas of Ebonyi State. The survivors of the shootings are receiving treatment at Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki while the deceased has been deposited in a mortuary.

Although the General Election was later postponed by the Independent National Electoral Commission, the shooting which took place in Ntezi in Ishielu Local Government Area and Nwofe in Izzi Local Government Area was a reflection of the level of tension ahead of the exercise in the state.

The nine year old boy from Ntezi and other victims were seen at the Accident and Emergency Ward of Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki as medical personnel battle to save their lives. The mother of the boy, Mrs. Oby Aja, claimed her son was shot by two young men who operated with motorcycle while they were on their way home.

“We were returning from our shop in the evening and a motorcycle carrying two young men passed us and immediately they opened fire on my son who fell down immediately,” she said. Another victim, Mr. Onyebuchi Awoke, alleged that he was shot by the same young men at the gate of one of the candidates of a political party in Ntezi.

“I just came down from a bike and was bringing out money to pay him when the young men rode to the gate and shot at me and I fell down, when they saw that I was not properly hit, they returned and shot me again on my chest,” Mr. Awoke narrated.

Also, a 34 year old member of a vigilant group who was also receiving treatment at the Hospital, Mr. Emmanuel Nwokpuru, explained that he was shot on the eve of the postponed elections, along with his colleagues, at a security post in Nwofe. He alleged that they had earlier questioned the gun man for violating security checks at the post before he returned with a car and opened fire on them.

According to Mr. Nwofe, “We saw the car and we thought it was just passing the security post, the next thing we heard was gun shots and one of us died immediately while we sustained bullet wounds.”

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer in Ebonyi State, Mrs. Loveth Oda, said she had not been briefed over the development. However, Chairmen of two major political parties in Ebonyi State, Chief Onyekachi Nwebonyi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Pastor Eze Nwachukwu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), had before the rescheduled Election traded accusations on whose members were orchestrating political violence in the state.

Meanwhile, some houses and property worth millions of Naira have been set ablaze in election related violence in Izzinya Agbaja in Izzi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State. The Police Public Relations Officer in Ebonyi State, Mrs. Loveth Odah told Radio Nigeria in Abakaliki that the houses were burnt down by suspected political thugs. She stated that the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Awosola Awotunde, had visited the scene of the incident and met with leaders of the area to ensure the return of normalcy.

She said though no life was lost, perpetrators of the criminal acts would be arrested and brought to book.  One of the victims, who is the Chairman of Nigeria Union of Pensioners in the state, Mr. Donatus Nwofe, said he lost two houses in the violence.

AMECHI ODO