Posted by By EMMANUEL ADEYEMI, Lokoja on
No fewer than four people were feared killed Monday, as a public rally organised by the Kogi State Government for the celebration of Democracy Day at the Lokoja Township Stadium turned bloody.
No fewer than four people were feared killed Monday, as a public rally organised by the Kogi State Government for the celebration of Democracy Day at the Lokoja Township Stadium turned bloody.
The State Governor, Ibrahim Idris and his deputy, Philip Salawu were hastily whisked away by security operatives when the violence broke out, a development which forced the ceremony to end abruptly.
Chairman of Ankpa Local Government, Yusuf Omale narrowly escaped death when bullet hit his right ear, just as many others suffered severe injuries.
Trouble started barely 20 minutes after the governor arrived the venue of the ceremony and was responding to cheers from traditional dancers when sporadic gunfire broke out. According to investigations, thugs believed to be loyal to a faction of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state tried to invade the venue of the celebration, demanding the head of the deputy governor.
This, it was gathered, caused a stampede in the stadium as police and other security operatives shot sporadically into the air while many personalities, including the police commissioner, Mr Thomas Bamidele, some traditional rulers and masquerades scampered to safety.
Amid the pandemonium, security operatives whisked away Governor Idris, his wife and the deputy governor, from the scene.
Several vehicles belonging to government officials, members of the State's House of Assembly, and local governmental councils were damaged, while some shops close to the stadium were vandalised.
While the stampede lasted, another group believed to be on a reprisal attack arrived, chanting war songs. It was the quick intervention of the Commander of Army Records, Lokoja who was at the venue that saved the situation from degenerating further as he mobilised his men to the scene of the incident.
Reacting at a press briefing, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr James Adedoyin, condemned acts of political thuggery and hooliganism in the state.
He said government was aware the disturbance was perpetrated by armed youths who came from Okene with the aim of disrupting the Democracy Day celebration.
He said this was the third time the same group would disrupt government activities and stressed that government would do all things possible to bring the perpetrators and those behind them to book.