Houses, Cars Burnt As Political Violence Rock APC Primaries In Lagos

By Idris Olukoya/Epe

Some houses and vehicles were burnt in Epe, Lagos East, on Thursday as political violence erupted following the killing of a supporter of one of the aspirants contesting to represent the All Progressives Congress in the House of Representatives election next year.

The person killed was identified as Idris Alooma, said to be 30 years old.

He was shot by hoodlums who attacked a polling unit in Ward 4, after voting had taken place and party members were awaiting the declaration of the result.

Four persons were cleared to contest for the APC ticket to the House of Representatives. They are Wale Raji, the incumbent, Lanre Odubote, a former Rep member, Remi Adebowale and Segun Olulade, a member of the House of Assembly.

Voting had ended at Ward 4, when the gunmen arrived at about 4.15 pm and shot Alooma, a witness Mr Akeem Lawal said.

He said the hoodlums stormed the polling unit after learning that their candidate had lost.

Lawal complained that the security in Epe was loose because there were no police officers at the polling unit when the attack occurred.

A NAN reporter who monitored the election reports that, some aggrieved youth set houses and vehicles ablaze across Epe community, after the killing of Alooma.

The Divisional Police Officer in Epe, CSP Adeyeri Sunday told NAN that one of the suspects, who attacked Alooma, had been arrested, adding that his team would do everything humanly possible to arrest other suspects and bring them to book.

The direct primaries to elect the candidates for both the House of Representatives and the Senate were held at the 19 wards in the Epe Federal Constituency.

Senator Gbenga Bariyu Ashafa, cleared to run unopposed for the Lagos East senate seat by the APC National Working Committee, had an opponent in Bayo Osinowo, a four-time member of the state of House of Assembly.

Voting started at about 3:45 p.m. in many of the wards in Ibonwon, Ikosi-Ejirin, Epe Recreation centre and Ogunmodede among others.

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