Two killed as vote buying, ballot snatching mar Kogi bye-election, five arrested in Bauchi

The bye-election to fill the vacant seat in the Lokoja-Kogi Federal Constituency, which started on a peaceful note on Saturday, was later marred by violence, vote buying and intimidation in Lokoja.
The election was marred by political thugs going from one polling unit to another to perpetrate fraud.
Although policemen and other security agents were seen at the polling stations, they looked the other way, while thugs terrorised people.
At the polling unit at Paparanda Square, voting could not hold as thugs invaded the venue, snatching election materials and beating up people queuing to vote.
The same scenario played out at polling units at Mary Primary School, Karaworo, Adnakolo and Crowther Secondary School, where thugs also disrupted voting.
At Adankolo, some thugs threw stones on people queueing to cast their votes at one of the polling units, chasing them away.
Some voters who came in their vehicles had their windscreens smashed.
At St. Peter’s Primary School, Felele, voters were seen receiving N2, 000 each after being certified to have voted for particular candidates.
Some officials of the Kogi State Government could be seen moving from one polling unit to another in convoys, accompanied by heavily armed policemen and other security operatives.
The Federal Commissioner of INEC in charge of Kogi, Niger and Nasarawa States, Alhaji Mohammed Haruna, however, said that the election would be cancelled where discrepancies and violence were recorded.
“INEC will review every case of violence, ballot snatching, voter intimidation and vote buying and take appropriate action,’’ he said.
Haruna stated that the rules guiding conduct of elections in Nigeria were clear, noting that election would be voided at any polling unit where rules had been violated.
Meanwhile, the state Police Command confirmed the death of two persons during the bye-election.
Spokesman of the command, DSP William Aya, who had earlier confirmed the death of one person, said the second victim, who he identified as Yadau Umoru, was killed at Ugwan Pawa polling unit, in front of Maigari palace while attempting to snatch a ballot box.
According to him, the corpse of the deceased has been deposited in the morgue of the Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja.
An unidentified man had earlier in the day been killed by a mob at the polling unit located by Abuja Electricity Distribution Company’s office in Lokoja, while also attempting to snatch a ballot box.
Aya said that the identity of the unfortunate man was unknown.
The bye-election, which started peacefully, with impressive turnout of voters, later became characterised by vote-buying and violence, including ballot box-snatching.
In Bauchi, the state Police Command arrested five persons in connection with electoral offences committed during Saturday’s Bauchi South Senatorial by-election.
Spokesman of the command, Mr Kamal Datti  stated this on Saturday.
“From the report we are getting from our men so far, the election process is going fine, peaceful and hitch free.
“However, we have made some arrests; we have arrested five people in connection with electoral ofences.
“The suspect are with us and we are investigating; two of them were arrested in a polling unit behind police headquarters and three others  were arrested in different parts of the state,” he said.