The general election of March 28,2015 between the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the opposition, All Progressive Party (APC) in Umelu primary school in Osaghatae community in Ikpoba Okha local government area of Edo state has been marred by electoral violence claiming the lives of 2 persons.
Confirmed report also indicated that vehicles and property worth millions of naira were also destroyed during the violence in Ikpoba Okha local government area of the state.
The Nigerian Observer learned that voting at the community did not commence till 12:45 pm as the electorates freely cast their votes for candidates of their choice.
The situation however degenerated into violence when the thugs in the service of APC attempted to intimidate some of the INEC officials and agents to alter collated results at the end of voting knowing it would not favour its party hence the use of violence.
Confirmed reports indicated that the thugs led by the son of a prominent politician in the community, Henri Okurobo in a private car went after the election officials on their way to INEC’s office and attempted to intercept the vehicle but were resisted by policemen attached to the officials.
It was reliably gathered that while the driver was gunned down by the thugs, the first Son of the politician was also shot dead as the gun battle with the thugs raged on with the policemen while others managed to escape into a nearby bush along the road.
A source in the community ,who did not want his name in print , said the opposition thugs who carted away some of the result sheets were seriously after two persons Agbonkhamwan Isaac Otabor and Edosa Monday INEC agents who lived in the community and were believed by the opposition to be loyal to the PDP.
The Nigerian Observer learned that after the death of the son of the politician . who’s led thugs to go after officials of INEC, in the community further escalated for days as the family houses of both agents were razed down while the father of Agbonkhamwan Isaac Otabor was also murdered in cold blood .
Attempts to ascertain from the police if any arrest concerning the murder and largescale destruction had been made proved abortive at the time of this report as sources within the police command who spoke on conditions of anonymity however said the safety and life of the INEC agents was not guaranteed as the politician ,whose son was shot dead , was an untouchable figure who was determined to eliminate the agent’s at anytime in retaliation for his first son’s life.
Confirmed reports in the community however revealed that the INEC agents had absconded from the community to avoid being eliminated by thugs of the opposition party and the politician in the community.
