The hoodlums were led by a member of the House of Representatives, David Zachariah and one Odu Akowe.
Thugs allegedly loyal to Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello on Wednesday attacked offices of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ajaka and Aloma communities.
Sources told SaharaReporters that the hoodlums were led by a member of the House of Representatives, David Zachariah and one Odu Akowe.
Videos and pictures obtained by SaharaReporters show the destruction of some PDP offices and chairs. Some vehicles were also damaged along with the residential house of an unidentified PDP member along with the personal belongings inside the building.
"This is the level at which chairs and out party members who were having meeting in the polling unit were destroyed. Phones and money were stolen from so many of our party members. This is the destruction of the chairs.
"The window of a member of our party whose house was also destroyed," said a man videoing some of the destruction.
"In a desperate bid to recover huge grounds lost to opposition, the ruling APC (All Progressives Congress) has let out its arsenal of thugs led by a serving member of the House of Representatives, David Zechariah and one Odu Akowe.
"In what they regarded as a “test-run” they harmed, maimed hapless individuals in Ajaka and destroyed property from Ajaka all through to Aloma. The thugs boasted that even the police cannot arrest them as they have the blessing and support of the Governor to deliver Kogi east to the APC at all costs.
"Properties destroyed include PDP’s offices, personal effects of PDP members and innocent citizens in the three communities attacked.
"We may resort to self-help if nothing is done by constitutional state actors because this rubbish must end NOW," a source said in a message sent to SaharaReporters on Wednesday night.
Another video shows a bloodied man said to be a PDP member who had suffered what looks like machete cuts on his back and leg.
The Kogi government recently stopped Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan from paying the West Africa Senior Secondary Certificate Examination fees of secondary school students in the Kogi Central Senatorial District.
On December 11, 2022, she declared interest in donating N5 million to offset the examination fees of students in the five local government areas of the Kogi Central Senatorial district.
However, the government in a letter asked all schools to obtain permission for any internal or external programme.
In 2022, SaharaReporters reported how thugs reportedly loyal to Bello attacked the campaign flag-off of Natasha in the state.
One person was shot while two other persons were macheted before the police repelled the attackers.
Bello had openly threatened to use firepower on members of the opposition parties in the state ahead of the 2023 general elections.
He also threatened that political opponents in the state who 'trespassed' would never see the sun again, ahead of general elections.
Last year, thugs allegedly loyal to the ruling party in the state also destroyed campaign billboards of Natasha.