Suspected political thugs killed a man identified as Nweke Peter, at a polling unit in Ezza Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
The Ebonyi State chairman of the Human Rights Defenders of Nigeria (HURIDE) Sampson Oko Nweke, who is the brother of the deceased, said the incident happened during the governorship and state House of Assembly elections at Ogboji ward on Saturday, March 18, 2023.
The activist said he and others managed to escape when the armed thugs invaded the polling units but his brother was not so lucky as the gunmen beat him to a coma.
“Armed political thugs with AK-47 riffles invaded my polling unit @booth 10, Ogboji ward, Ezza North LGA Ebonyi State. They came in two Carter motorcycles,” he narrated.
“One of them surrendered me with AK-47 at a very close range while other thugs pursued other people in the bush. How I managed to find myself outside the polling centre remains mysterious to me. I was almost a dead person today.
“They beat my brother, Mr Nweke Peter JP to coma. He is being rushed to hospital according to reports from those still around there. The hoodlums were also said to have set ablaze all the electoral materials in the three booths in Ndiagu Ogboji, booths 009, 010 and 011.
“Two weeks ago, bro Peter came visiting me in Abakaliki. I wasn’t in the house but he met my wife. He told my wife to tell me that I should be very careful. He said that a certain political party had enlisted some persons from our community for elimination on or before the election date. He said he’s number one on the list, I am number two and three other persons.
“Today, it happened to us. While I luckily survived it, my brother could not. They killed him at my polling unit. I wish today never came. Oh! How I wish there was never a date called 18th March, 2023. Bro Peter wouldn’t have died. A young man so full of life and promises.”
