Fear has gripped people of Obot Akara local government area in Akwa Ibom State as unknown hoodlums allegedly killed two persons and burnt 13 vehicles on Friday night in a pre-election crisis.
The people were afraid that mere arrival of elections materials could lead to such crisis when the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had rescheduled the presidential and National Assembly elections for February 23.
A report gathered from The Vanguard said the affected persons died in a gun duel between some hoodlums and security personnel on election duties at Nto Edino, the headquarters of Obot-Akara, when sensitive materials for the elections were allegedly taken to the area.
Sources from the area, who confirmed the incident, said security had been beefed up in the Obot-Akara community.
One of the sources said, “As we speak two persons have been killed and 13 vehicles burnt in the local government headquarters. The crisis started between the security personnel and some political thugs when INEC staff was distributing sensitive materials for the elections.”
The Akwa Ibom Police/Public Relations Officer, DSP Odiko Macdon, said, “As I speak, the Commissioner of Police is on his way to Obot Akara, so I cannot speak on the matter now”
Speaking to our correspondent, Dr. Chris Ekpenyong, a Senatorial aspirant for Peoples Democratic Party and a prominent indigene from the area, alleged that APC supporters had been causing crisis in the area for a long time now.
Ekpenyong, claimed that he was in Uyo monitoring the distribution of election materials when news got to him that there was crisis in his local government area and that two persons had been killed.
“We know them and they are the same people who have been causing problem in the locality. I made a formal complaint to the police for those people to be picked up and investigated because last time the same people did the same thing when they were recruiting ad-hoc officers.
“They went ahead to beat up the electoral officer because they wanted to force him to accept their own list for the ad-hoc staff. The matter was reported to the police and nothing was done. This is the kind of government we have at the centre. They want to take over Akwa Ibom State by force. But I have told my people not to engage in reprisal attack,” he said.
