Delta State Police Commissioner, Mr Adeyinka Adeleke, has confirmed the death of two persons in Amukpe, near Sapele, during Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly elections.
Adekeke said that the Delta Police Command had received the report of the killing of two young men during the exercise.
It was learned that gunmen stormed the polling unit about 12:55 pm while voting was ongoing and shot the victims. They died on the spot.
“They opened fire in a manner with a perceived intent to snatch election materials and some persons who sustained bullet wounds were rushed to the hospital.
“The voters and the Independent National Election Commission (INEC) officials who were around ran for their safety,” he said.
He said that the bodies had been deposited in a mortuary in the area and added that it was not clear whether the hoodlums made away with the ballot boxes.
Similarly, a military officer said: “I heard it and we moved to the scene of the crisis immediately to forestall breakdown of law and order.”
In a related development, one person was killed by some suspected hoodlums trying to snatch a ballot box in Ibadan, Oyo State.
An eyewitness, who identified the victim as Monsuru Hamzat, said the incident happened at Ward 2, Unit 13 and 14 Polling Centre in Ibadan South East Council area.
The eyewitness said the hoodlums came to snatch the ballot box while counting of votes was in progress.
Confirming the incident, Oyo State commissioner of Police, Shina Olukolu, said that the incident happened around 2:30 pm
Olukolu said it was alleged that a former Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Taofeek Arapaja, came to the polling unit located in his family house with some hoodlums to disrupt the process.
“The hoodlums simply identified as Akin and Etiba, who were said to have come in company with Arapaja, fired a shot which hit one Monsuru Hamzat.
“Hamzat was rushed to the hospital and eventually died,” Olukolu said.
He said that the police protected the remaining ballot box and INEC staff at the polling unit.
The commissioner said another ballot box was snatched at Agodi area while one Adeyemi Ayomide in company with others were said to be involved.
He said Ayomide was arrested while the others escaped and the ballot box was recovered.
