Gunmen ambush electoral officials in Edo

At least three people sustained gunshot wounds on Saturday when gunmen attacked electoral officials and party representatives transporting election results to a collation centre in Uromi, Esan North-East Local Government Area of Edo State.

The attack occurred at about 7:48 p.m. along Irrua Road, near the Irrua railway station, as the officials travelled in a Hummer bus and two other vehicles under armed escort from Uzea to Uromi.

According to sources, the convoy came under heavy gunfire, sparking a shootout. Three persons in the entourage were injured and rushed to Irrua Specialist Hospital, where they are said to be responding to treatment.

During the chaos, some INEC officials and party agents fled into the bush but were later rescued by security operatives.

The Hummer bus conveying officials was recovered, while another vehicle carrying election results for Ward 6 in Esan North-East was reportedly unaffected.

Security operatives have since launched a manhunt for the attackers, even as sources noted that the elections in the area had been largely peaceful, with collation still ongoing.