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Pandemonium broke out on Saturday in Lokoja when a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from Omala local government area of Kogi state invaded the party secretariat shooting sporadically in a bid to snatch the voting materials meant for the Sunday adhoc delegate election.
Scores were wounded in the crossfire while properties of the restaurant owners opposite the secretariat were destroyed.
The crisis was said to have been ignited when Dr. Jerome Agi, a confidant of Hon. Alih Ajuh, the leader of the factional group was molested when he came to the secretariat to ascertain what was going on.
He was allegedly working on the orders of Alih Ajuh and the son of the former governor Mohammed Idris. He reportedly put a call across to his conspirators who swiftly mobilized thugs from Omala in five Toyota Siena buses to the state secretariat around 6.30 pm.
Alighting from their vehicles, they took positions at strategic locations shooting and throwing stones and other dangerous weapons at the building and adjoining edifices to prevent electoral officers from leaving the premises.
Before the combined men of the NSCDC and police officers could come to restore law and order some commuters and passersby, who were cut off guard in the melee, have sustained various degrees of injuries from machete cuts.
Mohammed Idris, son of former Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris, is reportedly seeking party ticket to contest 2019 House of Representatives election for Ankpa-Olamaboro-Omala Federal Constituency.
A party member, Malik Abdullahi, alleged that Mohammed was behind the violent invasion of the party secretariat.
“Knowing fully well that he has been roundly rejected by the delegates, he decided to employ the services of the private militias from Omala to disrupt the process,” he said.
Confirming the incidence, Bode Ogunmola, the Publicity Secretary of PDP, Kogi state chapter, said although some misguided elements unleashed mayhem at the secretariat, he couldn’t ascertain the local government area the thugs came from. He allayed fears of further attacks as security agents have been drafted to the secretariat to restore peace.
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