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Tag: Thugs attack

  • ‘Thugs’ attack APC members in Ebonyi

    ‘Thugs’ attack APC members in Ebonyi

    Suspected Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) thugs have attacked All Progressives Congress (APC) members during the latter’s membership registration in Ebonyi State.

    The hoodlums were said to have injured two APC members.

    It was gathered that one of the victims, Sunday Nwaoba, 35, was said to be in a critical condition at the Emergency Ward of Federal Teaching Hospital in Abakaliki, the state capital.

    Doctors were reportedly battling to save his life yesterday.

    The other victim, whose name could not be ascertained, was receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital.

    An eyewitness Ojion Itumo said Nwoba, who hails from Ndiagu Echara in Ikwo Local Government, was attacked by 15 PDP suspected thugs who invaded his barn at 2 p.m yesterday.

    Itumo said: “Nwoba was attacked when he was working on his yam barn by 15 youths. The attackers inflicted injuries on him. They beat him to a coma and left him for dead.

    “They asked him to denounce APC, saying if he did not, he would be killed. The victim’s crime is that he participated in the APC registration.

    “We brought him to the Federal Teaching Hospital in Abakaliki (FETHA) from a community hospital, after reporting the matter to Noyo Police Station.

    “The police gave us permission to take the victim to the hospital where he is receiving medical attention. We want the police to do their job and thoroughly investigate the matter. Some of those who attacked the victim were masked.”

    Police spokesman Jude Madu, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), confirmed the incident.

    He described the incident as an assault.

    The spokesman said the police had begun investigation into the matter.

    Madu said: “I have spoken with the Divisional Police Officer (DPO). In fact, the victim requested to be taken to the hospital first and he was permitted. When he returns, we will determine the nature of the case.

    “If it is discovered in the course of our investigation that it has any political affiliation, we will make it public. The matter is under investigation. No arrest has been made. We thank God the victim is alive.”

    Acting APC Chairman Eze Nwachukwu decried frequent attacks on party members.

    He said: “We have been receiving series of reports of attack on our members in the membership registration in various wards. We had one in Ikwo Local Government Area, where one of the Akubaraoha youths attacked one of our members and took our registration materials.

    “The second happened yesterday (Wednesday) at Abakaliki Ward 9 on Afikpo Road/Lagos area. One hoodlum, called Schoki, beat up our registration officer, took the registration materials and ran away. Schoki ran away from the state and we looked for him.

    “The DPO for Ekumenyi Police Division also mobilised his men to look for him. He later dumped the registration materials at the Abakaliki Township Stadium and ran away.

    “Today, again, we received a report that the Ikwo Local Government Caretaker Committee Chairman mobilised a group of boys, stormed the home of one of our members who is a registration officer. They beat him to stupor. He has been hospitalised.

    “We are calling on security agents to make sure that these criminals are arrested. This is because if they don’t do so, we will write a serious petition against the police to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to show that the police have been compromised.”

  • ‘Thugs’ attack Edo council workers over revenue collection

    Suspected thugs yesterday beat up officials of Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State over the collection of revenue from commercial drivers.

    The suspected thugs were said to be loyal to the Edo Professional Drivers on Wheel (EPDW).

    The Oredo workers were collecting revenue from commercial drivers when they were attacked and their receit booklets seized from them.

    Their attackers urged commercial drivers not to pay because the order banning revenue collection had not been lifted.

    Governor Godwin Obaseki, on New Year Day, said only workers of local or state government were entitled to collect revenue, in line with the law.

    One of the attackers was arrested and taken to the council secretariat on Oba Ovoranmen Square.

    But other suspected thugs invaded the secretariat, chased away officials and released their colleague. The police watched while the drama lasted.

    The Head of Local Government Administration in Oredo, Mr. Ojo Osagiator, confirmed the attack.

    He said the council officials were on the street to carry out their statutory function.

    The council official said some drivers paid the approved N200 until the suspected thugs attacked them.

    He said: “The process started smoothly. We deployed workers to various beats and drivers were paying until our workers were attacked.

    “One of them was arrested. The hooligans invaded this secretariat and whisked away their colleague.

    “We were not in violation of the governor’s directive. The governor didn’t say we should deal with any organisation. We don’t have any business with any organisation.

    “We are positive that the council’s revenue will go up with this new directive. We are taking over the revenue base and we will set up mobile courts to try offenders.”

    EPDW President Adams Ehigiamusoe (aka Shaba) said the attack was carried out by his boys.

    Adams said it was wrong for Oredo officials to collect revenue when the state government had not spelt out its directive on the matter.

    He said: “There will be blood tomorrow, if they ask our drivers to pay.”

  • Thugs attack Ekiti APC secretariat

    Thugs attack Ekiti APC secretariat

    There was tension in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, yesterday when a gang of thugs attacked the secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC), smashing five vehicles.

    Party members claimed that the thugs were sponsored by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led government. They stormed the secretariat in three Hilux vehicles.

    The unprovoked attack, which occurred at 3.30 pm, caused panic at Ajilosun/Mobil. The hoodlums destroyed APC flags and fired bullets at cars.

    One of the vehicles smashed was that of the party’s Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatubosun.

    APC members at the secretariat named the thugs who carried out the attack.

    Olatubosun said party members had returned from a road show to celebrate the victory of their presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, and most of them had dispersed before the thugs struck.

    He said: “The thugs came in three Hilux vehicles, shooting directly at our party secretariat. They entered our premises and destroyed everything in sight.

    “We do not believe that the governor will stop our celebration of Buhari’s victory because we have heard him say that there would be no celebration in Ekiti.

    “It was the same killer- squad that has been wreaking havoc in the state that came to attack us at our party secretariat. Police can testify to our peaceful conduct; we did not abuse anybody, we did not attack anybody.

    “They were fully armed, they came with guns, charms and machetes and the Hilux vehicles carried government number plates.”

    But the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Idowu Adelusi, denied the claim that the thugs were sent by Fayose.

    Adelusi said: “Such allegation should be disregarded by every reasonable human being, because the governor did not send anybody and has never done such a thing in the past.”

    The governor’s spokesman denied the existence of any killer-squad, saying such an allegation exists in the imagination of the opposition.

    “We also appeal to the police and other arms of the security agencies to maintain law and order, protect lives and property and never allow any hoodlum to turn this state into another theatre of war.”

    The Commissioner of Police, Taiwo Lakanu, said he deployed a team of policemen to bring the situation under control, saying “our timely arrival scared away the miscreants”.

    Lakanu said the police succeeded in flushing out the miscreants from the APC secretariat.

    He denied the claim that the thugs were given security cover by some policemen.

  • Thugs attack Akwa Ibom’s PDP governorship aspirant

    Senator representing Eket Senatorial District and the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant in Akwa Ibom State,  Helen Esuene, was attacked yesterday by suspected thugs at Essien Udim Local Government Area.

    The incident occurred when the senator was addressing a crowd of party supporters, including the Chapter Chairman Elder Friday Udoh, who gathered at its secretariat in Afa Ikot Ebak.

     The thugs, who were brandishing different types of weapons, appeared and attacked everybody in the hall, upturning tables and chairs, including that of the senator.

     Supporters, fearing for the aspirant’s life, surrounded and whisked her away from the scene.

    The Deputy Director General of the senator’s campaign team and former Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Bassey Essien, decried the incident, saying it was uncalled for.

    His words: “I am surprised. This is democracy. I don’t see any moral justification for hired thugs to stop a sitting senator and a PDP member from canvassing for support in any part of this country. The thugs invaded the place and they were all armed with guns, shooting indiscriminately into the air.”

    But the Police Commissioner, Gabriel Achong, said there was no attack on Mrs. Esuene.

    Achong said it was a case of misunderstanding over the issue of money between the senator and the youths.

    His words: “I was told the senator came for consultation and they were in the Unity Hall. After the consultation, it got to the issue of money. The senator said she has paid the money into the party account.

    “The youths ask why she paid the money into the party account, because they want cash. The police escorted the senator out of the venue immediately. Not that somebody came from anywhere to attack the senator. There was no commotion or attack of any sort.”