Four electoral officers killed in boat accident in Epe
- Details
- Category: April 2011 Polls
- Published on Monday, 04 April 2011 07:15
- Written by Admin
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The incident, which occurred at Oriba waterside in Epe Creeks, involved one of the 10 boats hired by the Independence National Electoral Commission (INEC) for electoral duties along the coast.
The mishap occurred as the boats were heading back to Epe mainland, following INEC’s cancellation of the election and its subsequent postponement by 48 hours.
The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) for Epe, Mr Bertran Igbe, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), yesterday confirmed the drowning, adding that seven occupants of the boat were rescued while four others were missing.
It was learnt that a top Epe council official, (whose identity had not been disclosed), was among the dead.
The electoral officer for Epe, Mr Tope Aiyelesan, also confirmed the incident, even as he insisted that none of the commission’s officials was among the dead and the missing.
The Chairman of Epe Local Government Area, Mr. Olusegun Agbaje, described the boat mishap as a great loss to the community.
The Olu of Epeland, Oba Shefiu Adewale, told reporters that the incident was shocking. He commiserated with the families of the dead.
In Enugu State, a pastor and a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were, at the weekend, beaten up in Igbo-Eze South Local Government Area for allegedly aiding the smuggling of some electoral materials from the police station at Ibagwa-Aka.
It was gathered that their cars, in which the said materials were discovered by vigilant members of some opposition parties who had gathered at the police station for the distribution of the electoral materials, were also heavily damaged.
Following that incident, an angry mob went to town and destroyed some of Governor Sullivan Chime’s election billboards in the area.
Another popular politician was also brutalised at Alor-Agu in the same council.
The victim, whose name could not be ascertained, is said to be a member of one of the opposition parties who may have challenged certain politicians over the handling of materials.
An eye witness said that “his head was battered by his assailants”. Two of the destroyed billboards were sighted in Ibagwa-Aka yesterday but the area remained quiet in preparation for today’s elections.
The ordeal suffered by the pastor, who hails from one of the communities in the area , was said to have started following a vigilance mounted by some supporters of the opposition parties’ candidates to ensure that materials were not smuggled away in private cars.
However, our sources stated yesterday that some vital materials were discovered both in the pastor’s car and that of the other victim as they made to drive away from the police station to an unknown destination. (Nigerian Compass)
