INEC, PDP offices razed, scores killed in South-East, Kaduna - Punch Newspapers

Suspected hoodlums connected Monday unleashed a spate of convulsive attacks connected the Independent National Electoral Commission gathering successful Owerri, Imo State and the Peoples Democratic Party run bureau successful Gombe State, razing the 2 facilities and further heightening anxiousness astir the behaviour of the 2023 wide elections.

This was adjacent arsenic the Nigerian Air Force bombed terrorists’ hideouts successful the 3 Local Government Areas of Birnin-Gwari, Igabi and Chikun of Kaduna State, sidesplitting scores of the hoodlums.

The operation, it was learnt, was aimed astatine clearing the areas of the criminals up of the forthcoming polls.

During the Monday battle connected the INEC office, the constabulary killed 3 of the attackers portion 1 constabulary serviceman died and different 1 sustained injuries.

The PUNCH reports that this was the 3rd onslaught connected the commission’s facilities successful the authorities successful little than 2 weeks.

Unknown persons had earlier attacked the electoral body’s facilities successful the Orlu Local Government Area connected December 1 and successful the Oru West LGA connected December 4.

Suspected hoodlums had likewise torched the commission’s offices successful Ebonyi, Osun and Ogun states wrong the past fewer weeks, sparking fears that immoderate radical were plotting to derail the behaviour of the 2023 elections.

The spokesperson for the Imo State Police Command, Michael Abattam, who spoke astatine the bid office successful Owerri, wherever the lifeless bodies of the hoodlums were paraded, said 5 rifles, 2 vehicles, charms, locally-made bombs, phones and wealth were recovered from the slain gunmen.

 He besides confirmed the decease of a bull and the injuries to different operative.

Abattam said, “They (gunmen) attacked the INEC office successful Owerri astir 3am. They threw bombs astatine the extortion of the INEC gathering but unluckily for them, they were resisted by our men who were guarding the place. They came successful 4 vehicles and were afloat armed.

“While they engaged our men connected the crushed we reinforced. Noticing that we were stronger, they ran distant abandoning 1 of their vehicles. We gave them a blistery pursuit towards Onitsha Road. Fortunately, we neutralised 3 of them.

‘’Others escaped with slug coiled injuries. Unfortunately, 1 of our men paid the ultimate price. Another 1 was injured. We recovered 2 vehicles. We besides recovered 5 rifles, charms, locally-made explosives, phones, wealth and different exhibits.”

Briefing the Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, astatine the constabulary headquarters, the authorities Commissioner of Police, Muhammed Berde, said 3 of the attackers were killed portion 2 were caught alive.

Uzodinma suspects politicians

Reacting to the development, Uzodinma declared that the improvement proved that the insecurity successful the authorities was politically contrived.

The governor, who accused unnamed politicians of heightening insecurity successful the state, said helium was blessed that the information agents were capable to overpower the criminals.

According to him, immoderate politicians successful the authorities wished to triumph elections without going done the electioneering processes.

The politician said, “This is further impervious that the insecurity successful Imo State is politically contrived. In Imo State, you person politicians who privation to triumph elections without going done the electioneering processes.

‘’But I americium blessed with what the constabulary and different information agents person done. We volition proceed to enactment them to bash their enactment better. I privation to guarantee Imo radical to travel location and observe Christmas arsenic Imo is safe. The information agents are connected apical of the concern and acceptable to supply capable security, before, during and aft the Christmas season.”

Bemoaning the serial unit against its offices, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, described the incidental arsenic yet different systematic onslaught targeted astatine the commission’s assets.

In a connection a fewer hours aft the attack, Okoye besides noted that the incidental happened connected the time of the commencement of Permanent Voter Cards postulation by registered voters up of the 2023 wide elections.

It read, “The Resident Electoral Commissioner for Imo State, Prof. Sylvia Agu, has reported that our authorities office bureau successful Owerri was attacked by chartless gunmen. The incidental occurred astatine astir 3.00am contiguous Monday, 12th December 2022.

“The onslaught affected the portion of the gathering occupied by the Election and Party Monitoring Department and 1 authoritative inferior conveyance (a Toyota Hilux pickup van) was burnt.

“The effect of the information and exigency services (the occurrence service) curtailed further harm to the gathering and different assets of the commission. No captious predetermination materials were destroyed. There were besides nary casualties involving unit of the commission.

“This is the 3rd onslaught connected the commission’s facilities successful Imo State successful little than 2 weeks pursuing the earlier attacks connected our Orlu LGA bureau connected Thursday 1st December, 2022, and Oru West LGA bureau connected Sunday 4th December 2022.

“This is truthful yet different systematic onslaught targeted astatine the commission’s assets crossed the country, much truthful connected the time that the postulation of Permanent Voter Cards commences nationwide up of the 2023 wide elections.”

Gombe attack

Meanwhile, suspected thugs person acceptable ablaze a run bureau of the governorship campaigner of the PDP successful Gombe State, Mohammed Barde.

The bureau was reportedly attacked connected Monday morning.

The authorities constabulary commissioner, Mahid Abubakar, confirmed the attack, adding that investigations were underway.

“You person seen the pictures; yes the onslaught happened and we volition get afloat details earlier going public,” helium said.

In a connection denouncing the attack, the Deputy Director-General of media, Atiku/Barde Campaign Council, Junaidu Abubakar, said respective properties were destroyed, adding that members of the All Progressives Congress were to blame.

Abubakar said, “There was an onslaught connected the gathering lodging the Barde Campaign Organisation successful the aboriginal hours of contiguous (Monday) by governmental thugs, suspected to beryllium that of the sinking APC, mounting ablaze the gathering and destroying properties.

“The cowardly onslaught connected this edifice, 1 of galore successful the past months further affirmed the contiguous government’s basal connected unit and destruction, a menace to the fragile bid of the state, which indispensable vehemently beryllium rejected by each and sundry.’’

The assembly said Barde had connected antithetic occasions rejected unit and governmental thuggery, stressing the request to prosecute the resourceful Gombe youths successful a meaningful pursuit.

“The bully radical of Gombe State are hereby prompted to cull this enactment of oppression connected the ballot travel 2023. The Barde Agenda rests connected securing the lives and properties of the people, adjacent opportunities for the younker and women, accelerated infrastructural improvement and providing a level playing crushed for the absorption devoid of immoderate undue oppression,’’ the connection added.

Troops invade community

Troops of the Nigerian Army person reportedly invaded Obeagu assemblage successful the Ishielu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

The soldiers allegedly killed 1 idiosyncratic and arrested 5 residents accused of being members of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra.

Three of those taken distant were said to beryllium members of the vigilante radical acceptable up to support the assemblage from equipped herdsmen who had attacked the assemblage connected respective occasions sidesplitting nary less than 22 persons.

Community leaders said the troops who invaded the assemblage astir 5am, were shooting sporadically and allegedly burned 7 houses earlier taking distant 5 residents accused of being IPOB members.

The soldiers numbering implicit 60 were said to person entered the assemblage successful 10 Hilux vehicles and 7 armoured tanks.

Following the development, it was gathered that much than fractional of the residents fled to the neighbouring communities of Owoh, Ubahu and Amankanu successful the Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu State.

Confirming the development, a assemblage person and contiguous past councillor said, “We were woken up this greeting by subject gunshots. As I americium speaking, everybody is connected the run. Soldiers are shooting successful each the communities. All the Eha-Amufu radical that ran to our assemblage aft Fulani herdsmen sacked them are besides connected the tally alongside the residents.”

Another resident, Ogbuabor Sunday, told our analogous that they were observing the greeting Catholic Mass erstwhile the soldiers rolled successful their tanks.

“I was successful the religion this aboriginal greeting astir 5:30am erstwhile subject vehicles numbering implicit 30 including armoured tanks rolled into the community. Shortly after, they started shooting sporadically. None of the radical who came to religion this greeting had gone home. I americium answering this telephone wrong the bush,” Ogbuabor told The PUNCH connected the telephone.

However, our analogous gathered that the soldiers were asking immoderate women and aged radical astir the determination of the IPOB camps successful the community.

The Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 82 Division, Major Jonathan Unuakhalu, could not beryllium reached for comments arsenic helium did not respond to calls. He had yet to respond to the substance connection sent to his telephone arsenic of the clip of filing this report.

In a related incident, residents of Abakaliki connected Monday ran for beloved lives erstwhile gunmen suspected to beryllium IPOB members invaded the Ebonyi State capital.

Markets, banks and filling stations hurriedly unopen down arsenic sounds of gunshots rend the air.

The gunmen, who reportedly wore masks, razed a conception of the Ahia Ofu marketplace located on the Abakaliki-Enugu highway.

The enactment of the radical was said to beryllium portion of the enforcement of the 5 days sit-at-home bid declared successful the South-East region.

NAF bombs terrorists

Also connected Monday, the Nigerian Air Force bombed terrorists’ hideouts successful 3 Local Government Areas of Birnin-Gwari, Igabi and Chikun of Kaduna State, sidesplitting scores of the hoodlums.

The authorities Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, said the authorities authorities received the quality of the serial bombardments of the criminals with excitement.

Aruwan added that successful 1 of the aerial attacks with enactment from the crushed troops, a notorious bandits person simply known arsenic Alhaji Lawan was killed and his campy destroyed.

The commissioner, successful a connection said, “In continuation of aerial patrols crossed Kaduna State, the Nigerian Air Force has reported that respective bandits were neutralized and camps destroyed successful the latest circular of operations.

“According to the feedback to the Kaduna State Government, aerial patrols identified and attacked an progressive determination successful Kasarami wide country successful Chikun LGA.

“A bandits’ campy was likewise struck with rockets and destroyed astatine Kofita and Kuyanbana Forest successful Birnin Gwari LGA. Camps were besides targeted and destroyed astatine Kuduru and Gonan Baturiya, and terrorists were neutralized astir 4km westbound of Nabango.

“While conducting equipped surveillance astir Karshi, Kerawa and Walawa axes of Igabi and Giwa LGAs, bandits were sighted astir 6km southwest of Kerawa and promptly neutralized.

“Close aerial enactment was provided to troops conducting clearance operations astir Ligarma, Igabi LGA. During this mission, the location of a notorious bandit leader, Alhaji Lawan, was attacked and destroyed with rockets. The crews maintained a beingness overhead arsenic the crushed troops cleared terrorists’ enclaves successful the area.

“The Kaduna State Government received the study with acknowledgment and warmly commended the crews and unit for the sustained effectiveness of the operations. Ground and aerial patrols volition proceed successful these and different wide areas.”

 He further revealed that equipped reconnaissance was conducted on the Kaduna-Abuja roadworthy and obstruction lines, with nary suspicious enactment observed.

Fire astatine DHQ

There was a occurrence outbreak astatine the Defence Headquarters successful Abuja connected Monday.

The occurrence was said to person occurred connected the 2nd level of the DHQ complex.

It was gathered that unit of the Federal Fire Service and subject unit enactment retired the occurrence whose origin had yet to beryllium ascertained.

The Director, Defence Information, Major General Jimmy Akpor, said the occurrence was speedily brought nether control, adding that the unit were safely evacuated.

He said, “A insignificant occurrence incidental occurred connected the 2nd level of the Defence Headquarters, Garki Abuja this day 12 December 2022. The origin of the occurrence outbreak is chartless astatine this moment.

“However, the incidental has been brought nether power with the combined effort of the subject and Federal Fire Service unit and resources. All unit and civilian unit were besides evacuated without wounded oregon nonaccomplishment of life. Accordingly, normalcy has returned. Investigation to find the origin of the occurrence incidental has commenced immediately.’’