National Post

VIOLENCE CLAIMS 32 LIVES AHEAD OF OIL- RICH STATE ELECTION RERUN

NIGERIA

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WARRI, NIGERIA Nigeria’s governing party charged Thursday that 32 of its members have been shot, clubbed and beheaded in escalating violence as oil-rich Rivers state prepares for a rerun of legislativ­e elections previously annulled amid fraud and killings.

Rivers state is a stronghold of the opposition Democrats. The party denies responsibi­lity and blames the spate of killings over two weeks on “satanic cult clashes,” according to state government spokesman Austin Tam George, who is also an official of the Democrats party.

He accused t he governing party of “reckless and false allegation­s” to destabiliz­e the opposition administra­tion.

Rivers police spokesman Ahmad Muhammad acknowledg­ed there had been “some murders” and said the gang leader believed to be behind it has been arrested.

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