LET THE BOMBS AND VIOLENT ATTACKS STOP AS ELECTION CAMPAIGN BEGINS

BOMBS AND VIOLENT ATTACKS ACROSS NIGERIA AS ELECTION CAMPAIGN BEGINS Abdulrazaq O Hamzat Its not up to a week that the electioneering campaign officially took off in Nigeria, but several violent attacks have been reported.

From Rivers state to Ondo, Gombe, Jos, Abuja, Abia State and other places, reports of bombing and violent attacks is being recorded on a daily basis. It all started in Rivers State when the All Progressive congress (APC) presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari flag-off his presidential campaign in Rivers state, several APC members were attacked and shot on their way to the campaign. According to reports, No fewer than seven supporters of All Progressives Congress (APC) were shot by suspected political thugs who ambushed them on their way to the flag-off ceremony of the presidential campaign, held at the Chief Adokiye Amieyesimaka Stadium, Port Harcourt. It was gathered that, the vehicle carrying some APC supporters from Kana Local Government Area ran into an ambush laid by some trigger-happy political thugs, who opened fire on the bus, and in the process wounded six persons, including women. When the incident happened, the presidency or the ruling People Democratic Party PDP didn’t condemn the attack on the APC supporters and since then, countless others have been reported. Few days ago, President Goodluck Jonathan’s campaign buses were attacked in Jos, no one was reportedly affected in the attack. According to the reports, some angry youths attacked and set ablaze a campaign bus branded with President Goodluck Jonathan’s campaign posters at Zololo junction, Bauchi road in Jos, Jos North Local Government area of Plateau state. A witness, whose car was also torched by the rampaging mob, said another PDP-branded car was also set alight. The source, who only identified herself as Mrs. Rose, said her Honda car was also smashed by the protesting youths. It is not clear if they are members of the opposition party, but the eye witness said the road leading to the area was blocked by the rampaging youth, as they bashed other vehicles plying the route. According to her, the incident occurred in the presence of members of the Special Taskforce on Jos crisis STF, who could not help stop the action of the youth. The incident has generated tension within the state capital Plateau state capital as residents rushed home for safety. However, APC presidential candidate, Gen.Muhammadu Buhari condemn the attack on PDP’s campaign buses. Similarly, Hoodlums attempt to bomb APC’s office in Ebonyi, but APGA’s office was destroyed. According to reports, the wave of political violence took another dimension in Ebonyi State on Sunday as hoodlums attempted to bomb the All Progressives Congress (APC) office in Abakaliki, they were unsuccesful, but succeeded in destroying the office of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), in Ohaukwu local government area of the state. This is coming on the heels of invasion and destruction of APGA office as well as houses of some supporters of the party in Ohaukwu local government area of the state by unknown gunmen alleged to be wearing police uniform. Report said. The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Ebonti state, ASP Chris Anyanwu, who confirmed the failed bombing of APC office, noted that Police in Ebonyi state were currently working to unravel the people behind the dastardly act. APGA governorship candidate,Sen Anthony Agbo condemned destruction of the party’s office and touching of houses of some members of the party. He noted that, “These agents of destabilization in company of over 20 policemen, attacked the houses of some members in his area. “They burnt the party’s office and destroyed several properties such as furniture and posters, as the policemen who wore police vests and wielded AK 47 rifles, shot at the houses of our members,” he said. Also, APC party office in Okrika Rivers State got bombed According to APC Chairman in Okrika, Christian Asifamaka, he reported that unidentified men bombed the office of Nigeria’s opposition All Progressives Congress in Abam Ama, Okrika in Okrika local Government area of Rivers state. The explosion which occurred at around 3:14 a.m., destroyed the secretariat, bringing down the walls. The damage was quite extensive with the Chairman’s office being the worst hit. The party blamed the People Democratic Party PDP for the attack and it appealed to the wife of President Goodluck Jonathan, Patience, who is from Okrika that the land Okrika has never spared any person who brings trouble to the land. “We beg our daughter to remember that the land of Okrika has never spared any Okrika person who brings trouble to the land or destroys it. We beg her to please call her people in the PDP to order because Kirikese is bigger than anyone of us and we should not destroy it.” “Let us each hold our political views and try to persuade our people in a civilized manner. This barbaric acts must stop. Wakrike deserves better,” Asifamaka said. The APC chairman cautioned Okrika people in PDP to remember that the land of Okrika has been known to defend itself and its people against aggression and that any Okrika person who brings crises to the land answers for it because Politics is not a do or die affair. Meanwhile, the PDP in Rivers State condemned the bombing of the APC office. The state PDP explained that it received with sadness the report of the destruction of the building and called on security agencies to bring the perpetrators of the dastardly act to book. A statement signed by the Special Adviser to the state Chairman of the PDP, Mr. Jerry Needam, appealed to politicians to play politics with love, tolerance and fairness. Expressing the belief that those involved in the bombing of the APC secretariat in Okrika must have done it out of an ill-conceived motive, the state PDP frowned on an earlier statement credited to the governorship candidate of the APC in the state, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, that the PDP supporters were responsible for the act. Another attack took place In Ondo state, as the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State embark on “Work for Change” rally last Friday. The APC described the attack on its members as unjustifiable, barbaric, unacceptable, unfortunate and a threat to fair and credible elections in Ondo State. Similarly, APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie Oyegun house was raided by unidentified men. The All Progressives Congress (APC) expressed concern over the safety of its National Chairman, Chief John Odigie Oyegun, and his family after his residence in Abuja was raided in the early hours of Monday by unknown invaders. In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said while hoping that a police investigation would unravel what happened, it was either those who attacked the residence at 1.30a.m. are robbers or assassins. It said while Oyegun was away attending a previously unscheduled meeting in Abuja the invaders struck, his wife who was at home was left deeply traumatised by the raid. However, the party said while it does not known who was behind the raid, it was worth noting that the angry rhetoric and vitriolic personality attacks that had been directed at the opposition by the top leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and their spokesmen have heightened tension and put the lives of opposition politicians at risk, ahead of the forthcoming elections. Similarly, the Police in Gumau Division of Bauchi State said it have arrested a 20-year old man for attacking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for Toro Federal Constituency, Barrister Hussaini Umar. The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Haruna Mohammed said the suspect, one Auwalu Yunus, a resident of Riga village of Zalau district in Toro Local Government Area used a handkerchief to rub the face of the PDP candidate. Mohammed said Barrister Umar was in Zalau village to flag off his campaign when he was attacked by the suspect and as a result became unconscious. He added that police officers visited the scene of the incident and rushed the victim to Ni’ima Clinic where he was treated and discharged, saying the case was under investigation. Again, PDP Accuses APC of Killing Two Members The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State equally accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) members of killing two of its (PDP) members in two separate incidents in the state. The PDP, in a statement issued in Port Harcourt alleged that APC members last Friday shot and killed two members of the PDP, Hon. Hope George and Friday Mbadee Onura. However, the APC has described accusations that its members shot and killed two Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members as wild, unfounded, spurious and mere hogwash. Additionally, Violence escalates as suspected APC supporters raze PDP property in Gombe. Despite the pledge by Nigeria’s two main political parties to violence free general elections, violent acts by their supporters appear to be on the rise. Two days after campaign buses of the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation were set ablaze in Jos, Plateau State, several property belonging to the Peoples Democratic Party in Gombe State were burnt down on Sunday. The Gombe incident occurred in Gona Village of Akko Local Government Area. Another violent attack was reported as explosion rocks Abia PPA Secretariat. Most recently, An explosion suspected to be a bomb blast also rocked the secretariat of Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) along Warri Street, Umuahia, Abia State resulting in an inferno, which could have consumed the entire building but for the intervention of petty traders who broke the gate of the facility to put out the raging fire. The fire was said to have started when an unknown assailant threw two four-litre paint containers into the premises of the building. The containers were said to have gone off with a deafening explosion. Meanwhile, Chairman of the Progressives Peoples Alliance (PPA) in Abia State, Prince Emeka Okafor, has told newsmen that Abia State Government and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) masterminded the explosion. Okafor, who spoke to journalists on the development in his office yesterday, said the incident was not the first in his party’s secretariat. He alleged that the first time the office was attacked, PPA’s personnel were attacked and property worth millions of naira destroyed. “We suspect our landlord, the Abia State Government and PDP; they destroyed our party office in Umuokpara, we reported the matter to the police and nothing happened. They went about the city of Umuahia saying PPA was dead; they even placed a coffin at the secretariat. They have destroyed our posters and billboards in Aba. Mean while, Abia State police command has stepped up investigation on the explosion that occurred at the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA ) party secretariat in Umuahia. The police public relations officer, Geoffrey Ogbonna who confirmed the explosion that occurred on Sunday night said though it was minor, the police have stepped up investigation on the cause of the attack. With the level of violence recorded in this early stage of the campaign, it is important for the security agencies to devise better ways of ensuring security in the build up to the election. Let it be noted that, a partisan police cannot provide security, it would only turn the citizen against itself. Politucal parties also need to dedicate a special day for education of its members to avoid involving in act capable of jeopadizing the efforts of the party. The party must also have an internal mechanism to monitor its members before any political engagements to avoid unneccesary violence.