A political campaign rally in Koton-Karfi area of Kogi State ahead of the 11th November governorship election turned bloody on Friday with a woman reportedly killed and others injured.
Supporters of the All Progressive Congress (APC), the governing party in the state, clashed with those of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) when the latter’s governorship candidate, Alhaji Murtala Yakubu Ajaka took his campaign rally to Koton-Karfi, headquarters of Kogi Local Government Area.
Gun shots were heard during the fracas, while some other supporters openly welded dangerous weapons.
Crisis started when the supporters of both parties allegedly attacked each other and destroyed vehicles with many people injured.
In a statement, the Director of Communications for Muritala Yakubu Ajaka Gubernatorial Campaign Organisation, Mr Faruk Adejo said that security personnel protecting the SDP governorship candidate successfully repelled gun attacks by the political thugs.
He said that several supporters of Ajaka however sustained bullet wounds during the attack, which occurred on the candidate’s way from a rally to the town’s Central Mosque for his Jumat prayers.
He said: “Thugs had earlier opened fire at the rally venue at about 10:30 am when supporters began gathering ahead of Ajaka’s arrival to flag off the event at 1:00 pm.
“The rally was already underway when thugs with sophisticated assault rifles arrived and started shooting sporadically.
“Party supporters scampered in different directions while the fiery thugs descended on the event equipment namely podium, canopies, chairs, and the public address systems.
“They fired bullets into the giant speakers, smashed several hundreds of chairs and canopies, and then sustained the gun fire for over 15 minutes”.
Ajaka, who arrived at the venue about two hours later, praised supporters and party faithful who bravely returned to the venue despite the attack on hearing the approach of his siren.
He condemned the attack and urged the supporters not to be intimidated.
He mentioned that it was while leaving the rally venue with supporters escorting his motorcade to Jumat prayers that they ran into a barricade on the road.
Ajaka disclosed further that his campaign organisation has reported the attack to the Kogi office of Directorate of Security Service and the state Police Command.
The Coordinator of the Koton Karfe Peace Initiatives, Iliyasu Jato alleged that a woman was in an APC programme when the thugs allegedly shot her.
He said: “Today’s action is glaring. Until we begin to go after the aggressors and those causing violence, we may be chasing shadows. I call on the security agencies to fish out those who caused today’s attack.
“Is this how they want to come and govern the state? We expected them to come with superior campaign promises, but this is not the case”.
Iliyasu called on the security agencies to beam their searchlight in the direction of the incessant attacks in the state.
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