Gunmen attack Kogi election panel secretary, steal governorship petitions

Gunmen have attacked the Secretary of the Kogi State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, David Mike, in the state.

Confirming the incident via a statement issued on Wednesday, the Kogi State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Williams Ovye-Aya, said the election panel official was attacked alongside two other persons in Lokoja, the state capital, on Monday, December 4.

Ovye-Aya, however, warned the people of Kogi State from making inflammatory statements on the incident, which he said was under investigation.

He stated: “On Monday, December 4, at about 1820hrs, one Mr David Mike (M) Secretary of Kogi governorship election petition tribunal, along with Labode Apreala (F) Confidential Secretary and Hassimu Adamu Assistant Secretary, came to State Criminal Investigation Department, Kogi State Police Headquarters and reported that they were attacked by gunmen.

“On the date (December 4) three of them left their hotel rooms in Lokoja about 1300hrs, heading to their office at the High Court Complex, driving in his (David’s) Peugeot 406 car, but that just before the CBN at about 1320hrs, one SUV vehicle which had earlier overtaken him, blocked his car with two other SUVS following behind.

“All of them (attackers) surrounded and blocked him as he attempted to reverse.

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“He (Mike) saw about seven hooded men all heavily armed and dressed in black attire, who shot severally into the air and dragged him and his two other colleagues out of their car, ransacked the car and made away with all the documents, including petitions filed by four parties.

“The names of the parties are Action Alliance (AA), Action Peoples Party (APP), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), and Social Democratic Party (SDP).

“The items also included two record books and a bag containing his personal items.

“He claimed to have also reported to the DSS Office.”

Ovye-Aya noted that the Kogi State Commissioner of Police, Bethrand Onuoha, had ordered a thorough and diligent investigation into the incident.

The police spokesman explained that the statement on the attack became imperative following series of distorted information on the incident.

He added: “The command hereby advises the general public to avoid making statements that might prejudice ongoing investigation into the matter.

“The command also appeal to anyone with useful information on the alleged incident to provide same to the command.”

He, however, pledged to update the public as the investigation progressed.

The APC had earlier said the SDP should be investigated over the alleged attack, to save the nation’s democracy.

The Director of Media and Publicity, APC Governorship Campaign Council, Kingsley Fanwo, made the call in Lokoja on Tuesday.

But the Kogi SDP, through its counsel, J.S. Okutepa (SAN), also raised the alarm over the attack and accused the APC of using hired thugs in Lokoja.

The Star