Three Dead, Two Officers, Others Shot In Ekiti By- election

• S’west PDP Condemns Killing Of Innocent People • INEC Suspends Election Over Violence • Fayemi, Fayose Condemn Killings

THE bye- election for Ekiti East Constituency 1, yesterday, ended abruptly, as thugs believed to be working for one of the political parties, opened fire that killed three people, while several others were injured. The position became vacant, following the recent death of an All Progressives Congress ( APC) lawmaker in the State House of Assembly, Hon Juwa Adegbuyi.

Two police officers, an officer of the Federal Road Safety Commission, a Corps member and presiding officer, as well as others who were also shot during the mayhem are now in critical conditions at the Methodist Hospital, Omuo General Hospital and Ikole General Hospital.

The shootings took place at Ward 7, Unit 7, where the Senator representing Ekiti South Senatorial District, Mrs. Biodun Olujimi voted. Among those that were killed was a 50- year- old Bola Adebisi and 35- year- old Tunde Ogunleye, while the identity of the third victim was unknown as at press time.

The election had just started barely two hours, when the violence erupted. The ballot boxes were forcefully taken away in Ward 9 units 9 and 8, Iludofin Quarters.

The sporadic gunshots forced voters, INEC officials and security agents to stop the election, as they scampered for safety.

Narrating her ordeal, Olujimi said she narrowly escaped being shot, when political thugs invaded her polling unit, and that she had to be ferried out of the polling unit by party supporters.

Recounting how the crisis began, Olujimi said the election started peacefully before “some APC thugs and compromised police officers disrupted the voting process.’

She said: “The leaders of APC came to the polling unit. In fact, we greeted warmly. After they left, some

APC thugs who stayed behind pulled out guns and started shooting sporadically. This is the first time we would witness this. They picked the ballot box and ran away.

“A man died as he was trying to escape the scene. The policewoman guarding the ballot box was also shot in the head. The Corps member and presiding officer were hit by bullets…,” she said.

Olujimi accused the APC leaders of masterminding the horrendous attack, saying they mobilised people from all over the state for an election holding in just five wards.

A House of Representatives member and a native of the town, Hon. Femi Bamisile, described the shooting as appalling, saying no election is worth the blood of any Nigerian. “In any election, where people are being lost, that is no longer democracy. APC was fully prepared for this election and canvassed for votes and we never wanted to kill anybody. I really don’t understand how it happened.