Police declares fleeing election thugs wanted after escape from custody
The Edo State Command of the Nigerian Police has declared wanted 3 thugs who disrupted and snatched ballot boxes with other election materials by firing sporadic gunshots in Uzalla community in Uhunmhode local government area of Edo State during the 2011 general elections .
The thugs are Nosa Ernerst, Uwadiae Wellington and Joe Amadasun .
Recall that elections were temporarily disrupted in Uzeoba community in Uhunmhode local government area of Edo State when thugs numbering 5 stormed several polling units shooting sporadically to scare electorates as the thugs quickly made away with ballot boxes and other election materials while voters scampered for safety .
According eyewitness account during the sporadic gunshots, some unconfirmed number of persons waiting to cast their votes were hit by bullets as over 10 persons have been reported dead while 9 others are receiving treatment for gunshot wounds at an undisclosed health facility
It is understood that the polling units in Uzalla commuinity is the stronghold of the opposition party Peoples’s Democratic Party (PDP) where massive votes are needed in order to decide the fate of the winner of both the Federal House of Representatives and the Senate representing Uhunmhode Federal constituency at the National Assembly as the turnout of voters in the community was overwhelmingly low.
READ ALSO: Oborevwori urges varsity council to prioritize…
A statement by the Command which was made available to journalists in Benin City stated that the notorious thugs were arrested by a stop and search policemen who halted the vehicle they were driving after they had gone to disrupt voting processes by shooting sporadically to scare the voting masses and also snatching ballot boxes.
The statement further disclosed that different arms and live armunitions were recovered from the vehicle including ballot boxes and election materials as the 5 thugs were immediately transferred to the criminal investigation department of the Command for further investigation.
It was however gathered that 3 of the thugs escaped from custody during the period of investigation while the other 2 thugs after they were paraded at the Command following their arrest are facing prosecution in accordance with the violation of the provisions of the electoral law.
Meanwhile, the Command in the statement further urged members of the public with useful information that could lead to the arrest of the 3 fleeing thugs to report at the nearest police station for a handsome reward .
