Gunmen suspected to be bandits, Wednesday, killed three delegates of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) returning from a primary election venue in Niger State, leaving one other injured.
Shehu Haruna, a survivor of the attack told newsmen the bandits struck between Mariga and Tegina. “We left Minna in the late hours when PDP postponed its ongoing election to Thursday, saying we should go get our mean of identification,” Haruna said.
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WikkiTimes gathered that victims who hailed from Mariga local government decided to return home after a protest trailed the delegates’ list. Some aspirants expressed distrust in the list, according to sources This, however, forced the party to rescheduled the election.
“On the road, we ran into bandits who started shooting sporadically on our vehicle. We were able to escape since the driver was not hit, but, four people died on the spot,” Haruna added.
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The victims’ identities at press times remain sketchy at press time. However, sources said among them were two women and a male.
While families still mourn their loved ones, the party has gone ahead to replace the deceased persons with another delegates from the same local government.
Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, the Niger State Chairman of the Electoral Committee, who also doubles as Bayelsa State Deputy Governor, confirmed the incident to newsmen at the state PDP Secretariat in Minna, the capital of Niger State.
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WikkiTimes had reported how making a truce with the bandits remains the last option for residents of many villages in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State.The report chronicled how in the absence of a peace deal, residents often pay the supreme price.
Mariga local government shares a border with Birnin-Gwari in Kaduna and has served as hideouts for bandits who regularly terrorize the axis.
