Nasarawa: Gunmen Disrupt Bye-election, 5 Apprehended

Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs to President Goodluck Jonathan, Doyin Okupe, yesterday claimed that the 200 Chibok schoolgirls were abducted to make Jonathan’s government appear incompetent before Nigerians and the international community.

Okupe, in a post on Facebook said the Bring Back Our Girls Group (BBOG#) was formed with the sole aim of smearing the image of Jonathan’s government. The presidential media aide, in his post which went viral on Facebook and twitter, and which appeared in an online media report by Daily Post said, “One of the reasons the Chibok girls were kidnapped was to present Jonathan’s administration as incompetent and hold it to ransom against 2015 elections. One of the reasons the BBOG was formed was to sustain and internationalise the embarrassment. “One of the reasons President Jonathan lost the election was a national and international conspiracy predicated on this carefully choreographed and assiduously sustained perception. One of the issues that will be in the hand over notes will be the missing girls.

“What is reasonable and expedient for well-meaning men and women of good conscience is to dialogue with the incoming administration on what best new approach to employ to find and rescue the Chibok girls.

in Lafia Suspected political thugs yesterday disrupted the bye-election for Lafia-Obi Federal Constituency in Nasarawa state, when they stormed Angwan Mangu, shot sporadically into the air and attempted to snatch election materials meant for the exercise.

The Independent National ElectoralCommission(INEC)had declared the election outcome of theLafia-ObiFederalconstituency asinconclusiveandfixedSaturday April18 forre-run in Ciroma ward before announcing final result.

Althoughtherewasnocasualty due to the incidence, people scamperedawaytosafetytryingtoevade the shots of the gunmen.

In a swift response, security agenciesdraftedtocovertheelection at a polling unit along Jos Road in AgwanMangu,calledforreinforcement which led to the arrest of the gunmenwithsevenAK47riflesin one of the vehicles they brought.

EyewitnessestoldTHISDAYthat thesuspectswereapprehendedby the Police Special Anti-Robbery Squad(SARS).Witnessreportalso indicatedthattherewasashoot-out betweenthesecurityoperativesand the suspected thugs.

An eyewitness, Aisha Isah, said the gunmen stormed the political ward in three vehicles which scared voters away during the accreditation process. “These peoplecarryingbiggunscamehere andtriedtotakeawaytheelectoral materials but we resisted them. Then they started shooting into the air which drew the attention of the SARS people”.