Some political thugs today attacked Ishaku Shekarau, the senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in southern Kaduna zone of Kaduna State. The attack took place at Fadan Kagoma in Jema'a local government area of the state, according to a statement released to reporters by Samuel Aruwan, a spokesman for the Kaduna State APC campaign council in Kaduna.
The statement said heavily armed thugs attacked Mr. Shekarau and other APC officials as they arrived in Fadan Kagoma to attend the annual Gwong Day celebration. The attackers reportedly wielded dangerous weapons and chanted PDP slogans as they went after the APC officials and members at the venue of the celebration.
Mr. Shekarau's personal car was among sixteen vehicles the hoodlums smashed during the attack.
Speaking about the violent event, Mr. Shekarau said, “On getting to the venue, I was subjected to thorough security check. Suddenly hoodlums started attacking me with clubs and dangerous weapons. I escaped but they destroyed 16 cars belonging to our party and my bulletproof car.
“The security personnel saw all that transpired [but] none of them tried to repel the hoodlums who were brought to southern Kaduna in droves.
“It is quite unfortunate and condemnable. How can such a thing be allowed by a government that said it wants peace? It is a clear case of inciting violence and intimidation in the name of politics.”
The APC noted that the attack on Shekarau was the latest in a series of violent acts targeting APC supporters in Kaduna State. The party disclosed that the attacks have not been restricted to persons, noting that thugs, assisted by security agents, destroyed APC billboards in Zaria last week.