Four delegates for the Niger State gubernatorial primary election of the People Democratic party from Mariga Local Government Area of the State were reportedly killed by bandits.
Chairman of the Electoral Committee and Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo announced this at the State PDP Secretariat, venue of the primary election in Minna.
The delegates were said to have been killed on Wednesday while returning to Mariga after the party postponed the primary poll due to a protest by some of the aspirants who expressed distrust with the delegates list.
Delegates were thereafter asked to bring their means of identification to authenticate their names as primary election was shifted to Thursday.
Those who lost their lives in the incident were reportedly substituted to complete the number of delegates from the local government.
Consequently, one of the delegates, Shehu Haruna reportedly said that the incident happened between Mariga and Tegina and four people lost their lives.
According to him: “We left Minna in the late hours when PDP postponed the Governorship Primary election to Thursday, and that we should go and bring our voter cards or any means of identification.
“We were retuning home to get our means of identification and on the road we ran into bandits who opened fire on our vehicle. Though we were able to escape since the driver was not hit, but, four people died instantly.”
He said the local government which shares border with Birnin-Gwari in Kaduna has served as hideouts for bandits who terrorise regularly.
Haruna called for permanent security operatives in the area to safeguard travellers and communities in the area.
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