LG Election: Gunmen unleash mayhem in Enugu, kill five 

Gunmen suspected to be members of Eastern Security Network, a militant wing of the Indigenous People of Biafra, unleashed mayhem in parts of Enugu State on Wednesday in an attempt to disrupt the local government election scheduled for the day.

About five persons were feared killed when gunmen attacked two polling units.

The gunmen who stormed Amagu Obeagu Polling Unit in Enugu South Local Government and killed three individuals while also setting vehicles ablaze.

They subsequently proceeded to The gunmen to another polling unit at Akpugo in Nkanu West Local Government Area and attacked voters.

In all about five persons were killed by the gunmen who disrupted the voting exercise by destroying electoral materials after chasing away voters.

Apart from those killed, some persons sustained injuries while vehicles were set ablaze.

An eyewitness, who did not want his name mentioned, said the gunmen were heard shouting that they had warned that there should no longer be elections in any part of the South East.

“What happened today in Enugu is terrible,” the witness said. “It’s not as if they even asked people not to come out to vote. They just started killing people, it’s very dangerous.

“They came to Obeagu, the same place Kevin Ezeoha was killed some days ago, opened fire and burnt voting materials. From there they went to another polling unit and killed many people.”

The news crew of the Enugu State Broadcasting Service (ESBS) was also attacked at Obeagu.

The media team comprised a driver, cameraman and three correspondents, including a reporter with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

Two ESBS reporters – Chiamaka Ezeaputa and Chigozie Alex-Nwafor – alongside the driver, Ebuka Collins Ogbozor, escaped.

A staffer of NAN, who did not want to be mentioned, confirmed that one of their staff was involved in the incident, which he described as “very volatile and unfortunate”.

Footages of vehicles burning in different spots within a compound that looked like a polling station, are currently in circulation.

Also, broken plastic chairs and tables as well as papers believed to be for the election littered the ground.

A male victim wearing a T-shirt and a shot was see bleeding profusely. It seems the attackers shot him as some in the background were heard asking the victim to calm down as they were making arrangement to rush him to a hospital at Agbani.