According to eyewitness account, two of the deceased died immediately, while one who sustained gunshot injuries was said to have died at the hospital. Several others are said to be receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital in the area.
Three persons were said to have been killed and several others hospitalised at Amukpe, near Sapele, Sapele Local Government Area of Delta State following a bloody clash between supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the presidential and the National Assembly elections in the area.
Our correspondent reliably gathered that the incident happened along old Eku road Amukpe, Sapele as the deceased were about to cast their vote. Some yet-to-be-identified gunmen stormed the polling units and shot sporadically at the voters who came out to exercise their franchise.
According to eyewitness account, two of the deceased died immediately, while one who sustained gunshot injuries was said to have died at the hospital. Several others are said to be receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital in the area.
"The shooting was overwhelming which resulted in people scampering for safety. Officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), ad hoc staff, security agents and voters fled the venue when bullets started flying. Electoral materials were scattered on the ground with soldiers mounting barricade on the road. The corpses of the deceased were evacuated from the scene as at 2:55pm to a mortuary."
At Unity 2 and 3, ward 8, Ughelli South Local Government Area (LGA), Delta State, Peter Mrakpo, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, expressed satisfaction over what he described as peaceful elections in the area.
Our correspondent gathered that materials of ward 4 unit 5 in Bomadi LGA were allegedly hijacked and taken to James Manager's house for manual thumb-printing, while at Kokori ward 6, persons suspected to be political thugs accused of working for the PDP invaded polling units 01, 02 and 03 and left scores of persons with injuries.
At Koko Ward 6, unit 2, Warri North LGA of the state, Emmanuel Uduaghan, immediate past governor of the state and the APC candidate for Delta South Senatorial District, who, in the company of his wife, cast his vote at about 1pm, commended the process, and expressed satisfaction with the large turnout of voters at the polling unit in his hometown, Abigborodo.
At Owhelogbo, Isoko North LGA, voting materials arrived at about 11:30am as against the 8am stipulation, while accreditation began at about 12:20pm, four hours behind schedule.
Ovuozourie Macaulay, the immediate past Secretary to Delta State Government (SSG), who was accredited at about 12:38pm and cast his vote at about 12:45pm in his polling unit, Ashaka Unit 4. Owhelogbo, bemoaned the delay in the exercise and identified certain irregularities in the voting process.
He, however, noted that the area has been relatively peaceful.
Meanwhile, electoral materials such as result sheets, ballot boxes and papers were said to have been carted away by political thugs allegedly paid by Immanuel Emoefe, Pius Otolo, Gordon Omojefe and Mike Omojefe, President-General of Ikpide-Irri riverine community, a former ward chairman of PDP and other leaders of the party in the community.
SaharaReporters reliably gathered that the stolen materials, which were taken to the residence of Immanuel Emoefe for multiple thumb-printing and ballot stuffing, were retrieved by supporters and members of the APC in the community and normal voting commenced.
As at when normal voting commenced and ended Uduaghan defeated his PDP opponent, James Manager, while the APC House of Representatives candidate, Isoko Federal Constituency, Joel-Onowakpo Thomas, defeated his PDP opponent, Leo Ogor, at Ikpide-Irri riverine community.