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PDP thugs
attack
Audu’s convoy,injure 10 ACN supporters ,smash cars
Newsdiaryonline Fri Nov 25,2011
One of the victims of the attack
The governorship campaign train of the candidate of the Action
Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Kogi State, Prince Abubakar Audu
was on Thursday attacked by PDP thugs during a rally at Ajaka,
the headquarters of Igalamela/Odolu Local Government Area.
Apparently irked by the large turn of ACN supporters at Ibaji,
Idah and in the town, the thugs blocked a section of road and
started shooting randomly and throwing ‘burning firewood, stones
and cudgels at the convoy as it was leaving the venue after the
successful rally.’
According to the accounts of the incident contained in a press
release by Sanni Onogu, media officer to Prince Abubalar Audu
,it took the intervention of the police and other security
agencies on hand to dislodge the boys who fled under the cover
of darkness. After the dust settled, it was discovered that over
10 persons received various degrees of injuries with five cars
badly damaged. Some of the cars had their windscreens and side
mirrors shattered apart from damage to the bodies. The youths
later regrouped and attacked other ACN supporters who returned
to the campaign venue to retrieve the rugs and sound system used
for the rally.
They also seized two of
Audu’s branded campaign vehicles in the process.
Some of the victims with deep machete cuts were later taken to a
nearby clinic by ACN officials for treatment.
However, not minding the unprovoked attack, Prince Abubakar Audu
later addressed another mammoth crowd of ACN supporters
and loyalists at
Igwolawo, headquarters of Ofu Local Government Area.
The PDP thugs hired by a PDP chieftain in the area earlier
attempted to stop the rally from holding, but the ACN supporters
resisted.Having failed in their bid to stop the rally, they tore
all the Prince Abubakar Audu’s campaign posters.
One of the damaged vehicles
According to the Director General of Prince Abubakar Audu
Campaign Organization, Hon. Abdullahi Ibrahim Halims, whose car
was also attacked, no
amount of intimidation and violence would stop Audu’s winning
train this time around
Hon. Halims said: “When we told the world that agents of the
state government and the PDP have stockpiled arms and sewn fake
Police, Army and Civil Defence uniforms to intimidate innocent
voters and rig the elections, the PDP engaged in a media
campaign to say we were crying wolf but this incident has
clearly vindicated us and demonstrated that they are sinking.
“The PDP seeing their chances plummeting as a result of the wide
acceptance of Prince Abubakar Audu have now resorted to
desperate measures of violence and their trademark do-or-die
politics.
“We call on all Kogites not to be cowed by their employment of
brute force but to reject them at the polls through the
instrumentality of their votes.
“We assure all Kogites that Prince Abubakar Audu is out to
revive the state from nine years of looting and degradation and
no amount of brigandage and shenanigans would deter him.
“Again, we call on the Inspector General of Police, Hafiz Ringim
to take our earlier petition seriously, investigate this attack
and bring the perpetrators to justice.
“We also urge him to provide adequate security for the state
before, during and after the elections.
“On our part, we shall continue to go about our campaigns
without let or hindrance and in a most peaceful and civilized
manner based on the conviction that that the good works of
Prince Abubakar Audu as governor of the state between 1999 and
2003 are evident across the state and would speak for him as
already demonstrated by the large turnout of ordinary Kogites at
his campaign rallies all over the state.”
Th
This is the document referred to in the Witness
Statement on Oath of Clifford O. Kokogho as
“Exhibit
COK.2”
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