— THE orgy of violence, which characterised
Saturday’s re-run polls for some federal and state legislative seats in Rivers
State continued, yesterday, as the results were being collated.
There were
sporadic shootings in Abonema area of Port Harcourt, the state capital. The
shooting which lasted for about 30 minutes caused panic as people around Mile 1
and Azikiwe road scampered for safety.
The cause of the deafening shots was yet to be ascertained at press time but
some security operatives arrived the scene on time to restore normalcy. There
were also shootings, last night, causing heavy stampede in Rumuola and Rumuigbo
areas of Port-Harcourt.
The shooting in Rumuigbo, base of Tony Okocha, APC
House of Representatives candidate for Obio Akpor Federal Constituency,
occurred around 8.00 p.m. and caused many pedestrians to take flight. Peterside
survives gun attack, Wike loses aide One person was feared dead, yesterday
evening and two others reportedly sustained gunshot injuries during fierce
shooting at UTC junction on Azikiwe road. The scene of the incident is about
200 meters from the office of the Department of State Service, DSS and a
walking distance to Government House, Port Harcourt. There were conflicting
accounts of the incident.
Dr Dakuku Peterside, who was the governorship candidate of
the All Progressives Congress, APC, alleged that he was the target for
assassination, adding that the gunmen opened fire on the vehicle conveying him,
his running mate in the last general elections, Asita and the Chairman of his
party, Dr Davies Ikanya. A statement by Peterside’s media aide, Mr Sylvester
Asoya alleged that his Police orderly, Mr Emma Esi sustained gunshot injuries
and was rushed to the hospital. “Two Jeeps belonging to Emeka Woke, Nyesom
Wike’s Chief of Staff, carrying two unknown gunmen trailed us to UTC Junction
and opened fire on my car. Our car, however, did a detour first to Aba road,
then to old GRA with the two jeeps still trailing us.
We drove to the DSS office to seek refuge and on getting to
the gate the unknown gunmen opened fire again at the DSS men on guard. “The
exchange of fire between the DSS men and the assailants lasted for more than 30
minutes. In the course of the exchange of fire, my Police detail, Cpl Emma Esi
was shot at and seriously injured. This is a very ugly experience but I thank
God that my colleagues and I escaped unhurt. “When the DSS men demobilized the
two jeeps, we found out that the man at the back of the car who was identifying
us to the assailants was Wike’s Chief of Staff, Emeka Woke. He has been
arrested by the DSS.
My CS lost an aide— Wike Meantime, Governor Nyesom Wike, who
spoke generally on the re-run elections in the state to newsmen in Government
House said the aide to his Chief of Stafff, Mr Emeka Woke died in the shooting.
According to him, he detailed his Chief of Staff, Mr Woke to monitor the rerun
election result of Ikwerre Local Government (the local council of former
governor Chibuike Amaechi) to where ever they were taking it to in the state
capital.
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