Enugu Council Polls: Security operatives repel gunmen as they attack polling stations, federal lawmaker

Daredevil members of the notorious gunmen ravaging the Southeast zone were, on Wednesday, repelled by a combined team of army and police operatives as they launched a deadly offensive to disrupt the scheduled Enugu State Local Government Elections in Amodu, Agbani and Akpugo, all in Nkanu West LGA of the state.

The terror merchants began their havoc at a polling station in Obeagu in Enugu South LGA shooting sporadically into the air and scaring away voters at the hitherto peaceful statewide council polls in the state.

The gunmen, after causing mayhem and stampede by intending voters at Obeagu, soon attacked a polling station at Amodu in Nkanu West LGA, killing an officer of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

Also reportedly killed was an ad-hoc staff member of the Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission (ENSIEC) on duty at the polling station as an assistant poll clerk, while also burning to ashes the vehicle belonging to one Mr Emma Ogbu who was the returning officer for Amodu ward.

Other ad-hoc electoral officials were reportedly subjected to severe beatings by the hoodlums.

They soon moved to the council headquarters of Nkanu West LGA at Agbani where they met the stiff resistance of security operatives on ground.

Witnesses informed that after a crossfire between the invaders and the security forces deployed in council headquarters, the gunmen left in their Toyota Sienna van for Akpugo where they unleashed their most devastating attack of the day.

In broad daylight, the hooded bloodthirsty gunmen attacked a polling unit at Akpugo after which they proceeded to the nearby compound of Hon. Nnoli Nnaji, a federal lawmaker representing the Nkanu East/West Federal Constituency.

The hoodlums reportedly shot their way into his compound and torched three cars and a section of his house while destroying the glass designs of the building, bringing them to ruins.

It was gathered that unknown to the gunmen who were having a field day with the only resistance at the council headquarters, the chairmanship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the council, Hon. Uchenna Nnaji who witnessed the exchange of gunfire on the council premises tipped off the military task force patrolling the area who went in pursuit of the gunmen.

The team led by Captain Kayode Omoniyi and another team of army operatives led by Lieutenant Adeshina saved the day as they arrived at the lawmaker’s residence in Akpugo while the attackers were shooting recklessly in their bid to set the house ablaze.

The rampaging gunmen were however forced to flee by the army patrols joined by policemen on election duty, with many items recovered from them such as phones, POS machines and live ammunition.