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Six missing as gunmen attack INEC officials in Kogi
Six persons are missing after gunmen attacked six Hummer buses conveying Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials in Kogi state on Sunday.
The attack occurred around 2 a.m. at Abajana leaving many INEC officials with gunshot wounds as well as policemen and bus drivers.
The six missing persons include two serving National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members and four ex-youth corps members who were all INEC ad-hoc staff.
The injured persons have been admitted at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), now Federal University Teaching Hospital, Lokoja.
Salisu Ibrahim, one of the bus drivers, who was shot in his right leg told NAN at the hospital that the attackers took them by surprise.
“We were on our way back to Lokoja from Abajana with the results of the House of Assembly elections held there when we were attacked by some people.
INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu
“All the six buses moving in a convoy were attacked and in the process many of us sustained injuries.
“Thank God, none of us died in the process but I learned some youth corps members are missing during the attack in the early morning,” Ibrahim said.
Dare Owofadaju, a corps member who was shot in his left thigh, said: “It is only God that kept us alive considering the way and manner the gunmen attacked us.”
Owofadaju said that the election was conducted peacefully and counting was completed, adding that, “it was when we were returning to Lokoja that we were attacked at Abajana”.
“Thank God some security operatives came to our rescue and rushed those of us injured to this Federal University Teaching Hospital Lokoja for immediate treatment,” he explained.
The Commander, Headquarters Command Army Records (CAR), Maj-Gen. Sunday Igbinomwanhia, the Kogi Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Hale Longpet, and the Kogi NYSC Coordinator, Mrs. Mofoluwaso Williams, visited the injured in the hospital.
The REC and the state NYSC coordinator declined to respond to NAN inquiries on the incident.
The spokesman of Kogi Police Command, SP Williams Ovye-Aya, confirmed the incident, saying that the police were on top of the situation.
“We are aware of the sad incident and preparing to state the attack,” he said.
