Gunmen attack Kogi REC in Lokoja

In Lokoja, the capital of Kogi state, gunmen have attacked the home of the Independent National Electoral Commission's (INEC) Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC).

This was revealed in a statement released on Friday in Abuja by Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Mr. Rotimi Oyekanmi.

He said that the REC, Dr. Hale Longpet, was in good health because the guards escorting him managed to repel the assailants until help arrived.

“In the early hours of today, Friday 1st December 2023, around 3.30am, gunmen attacked the residence of our Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Lokoja, Kogi State.

“The armed men engaged the security personnel in a gun battle for over 30 minutes until reinforcement arrived.

“While no lives were lost, property was destroyed in the ensuing gun battle. A team of combined security personnel have been deployed to protect the residence.This incident occurred a day after a mob besieged our state office.

“We call for a thorough investigation and enhanced security protection for our personnel and assets in Kogi State”, he stated.

On Wednesday, a group of demonstrators wearing Social Democratic Party (SDP) t-shirts stormed the INEC office in Lokoja, alleging that the commission was collaborating with the state government to manipulate election materials.

One of them, Danjuma, claimed that they were positive that the APC had tampered with the materials at the INEC Office and vowed that the people who had stolen his people's mandate would not be allowed to live.

“We have it on good authority that the APC and Yahaya Bello have tampered with the election materials. The materials they are taking to the tribunal have already been doctored. So we are calling on INEC to take the original material to INEC, or we will make Kogi State ungovernable.

“Those who stole the mandate of Kogi East must not live to enjoy it. We are calling on the President and also the National Chairman of INEC to ensure the doctored materials are immediately replaced with the original ones before they are presented at the tribunal. Anything other than that will be resisted,” he had said.

Source