Three feared dead as explosions rock Enugu council poll

• APC, Chime, VON DG kick

Three persons were feared dead yesterday at Oji-River during yesterday’s local council elections in Enugu State marred by two separate explosions.

The first explosion occurred around 8:20am at Coal Camp in Enugu North Council area of Enugu State just before voting began.

It was gathered it occurred at Broadrick Street Primary School, one of the designated voting centres.

The suspected improvised explosive exploded at the gate of the school, shattering a Mercedes Benz V-boot.

It left three people injured.

The Police Commissioner Mohammed Dan Mallam and Director of the State Security Services were on hand to ascertain the extent of the damage.

The second explosion was reported at Amechi, Awkunanaw voting centre.

The developments led to the arrest of three suspects.

Police spokesman, Ebere Amaraizu confirmed the arrest of the perpetrators.

Amaraizu also said that a tricycle was destroyed by the explosion, which occurred at a workshop about 400 metres near the entrance of a polling station at Coal Camp.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) condemned the exercise.

Its National Vice Chairman, South East, Emmanuel Eneukwu told newsmen in his country home at Obinagu in Udi Local Government Area of the state that the election was a ‘sham’.

Eneukwu said that election materials arrived very late at many council areas while other areas witnessed no election.

“Voting materials arrived late in many areas across the state while sensitive materials like the result sheets were nowhere to be found.

“There is no way election can be conducted without result sheets.

“Even in my ward at Obinagu, materials have not arrived as at 1p.m,’’ he said.

Also former Governor Sullivan Chime called for the cancellation of the election which he described as a charade.

According to him the election came near nothing like free and fair.

Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), Osita Okechukwu described the election as ‘shambolic’.

Okechukwu decried late arrival of materials in many polling units in the state.

“This exercise is shambolic. I think the PDP is afraid of losing to the APC.

“Is that how they will behave if devolution of powers is granted to governors?

“So if they give them powers, opposition will die because they will use state police to intimidate them, ’’ he said.

But the Commissioner for Information, Mr Ogbuagu Anikwe said that it was ‘aggressors’ that were trying to disrupt the elections.

“This is part of their antics to make the entire process a nullity because they know they are losing.

“PDP is not afraid of any opposition because PDP is on ground in Enugu State and it will take the opposition number of years to find itself in PDP’s position,’’ he said.

 

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