No fewer than 3 persons have reportedly been murdered following a violent gun-attack by suspected thugs who attempted to snatch ballot-boxes in Ward 1 in Oredo but were halted from carrying out their sinister plot during the April 17th 2007 gubernatorial election between Prof.Oseirhemen Osunbor of the People’s Democratic Party PDP and Adams Oshiomhole of the Action Congress of Nigeria ACN in Edo State.
The armed thugs suspected to be members of the opposition party Action Congress of Nigeria ACN stormed ward 1 where sporadic gunshots were heard as voters reportedly scampered for safety shortly after the commencement of voting.
It was gathered that the People’s Democratic Party were in early lead when the armed thugs stormed ward 1 to disrupt voting as ballot-boxes were instantly destroyed and 4 others almost carted away but for the timely intervention and bravery of a group of youths led by one Sylvester Otasowie, the ensuing violence reportedly escalated leading to the murder of 3 voters.
Sporadic gunshots were later heard again at ward 1 as the pandemonium further degenerated into a bloody violence.
Meanwhile, the armed thugs were said to have reportedly fled as the violence leading to the murder of 3 persons erupted instantly while policemen and military personnel were later deployed to restore law and order at the ward after the armed thugs had fled.
However, the 3 corpses were later deposited at the local mortuary as operatives of the Edo State Command of the Nigerian Police immediately commenced arrest while 8 persons were reportedly arrested.
A statement made available by the Edo State Command of the Nigerian Police to journalists in Benin City stated that the 8 arrested persons who are card-carrying members of ACN are assisting the police with useful information that led to the murder of 3 persons.
The ACN members in their respective statement allegedly accused the youth vice-chairman of PDP in ward 1 in Oredo, Sylvester Otasowie and 2 others as being responsible for the disruption of the electoral process at ward 1.
The ACN supporters in their respective statements further claimed that Sylvester Otasowie, Richard Adun and Lucky Iyamu reportedly confronted voters and prevented the voters from exercising their civic rights to vote by firing sporadically in the atmosphere, an action which was said to have led to 3 persons being hit by stray bullets.
Reacting to the death of the 3 persons in ward 1 in Oredo, the ACN party in a statement urged the police to urgently fish out the perpetrators of the dastardly attack which claimed the lives of 3 innocent citizens adding that desperate politicians in the ruling PDP were responsible for perpetrating this heinous crime against humanity .
Meanwhile, the Edo State Command of the Nigerian Police has declared 3 persons wanted in connection with the murder of 3 voters in ward 1 in Oredo
The statement which named the 3 suspects to include Sylvester Otasowie, Richard Adun and Lucky Iyamu further urged members of the general public with any useful information on the whereabouts of the fleeing suspects to report at any nearby police station or the criminal investigation department of the Edo State Command of the Nigerian Police for a handsome reward adding that.the 3 fleeing suspects upon their arrest will be prosecuted in accordance with the provisions of the law.
