No loss of life before, during and after - police confirm

The Police Command in Enugu State on Sunday confirmed that no life was lost before, during and after the state’s Nov. 4 local government election.

The Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission (ENSIEC) conducted election into 17 council areas and 261 political wards on Saturday, Nov. 4.

The command’s Spokesman, SP Ebere Amaraizu, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu that the speculations that some persons were killed were false and unfounded.

“There was no loss of life anywhere in the state,” he insisted.

Amaraizu said the police and other security agencies were able to persuasively calm nerves and return normalcy in locations where violence broke out on Saturday.

He added that some groups’ resistance that the election would not hold was professionally handled by police and other security agencies as the agitators were peacefully dispersed.

He explained that “against the backdrop of rumours that some persons were killed in Oji River Local Government Area on Saturday, the command wish to make it categorically clear that there was no loss of lives in Oji River and throughout the entire state.

“The command wish to state that there was an issue in which some electoral officials and materials were held hostage by some group of persons.

“The group insisted that election would not hold in Oji River and its environs and also threatened to burn down the council secretariat should the election go on.

“However, the situation lasted until the arrival of the Commissioner of Police (CP) in the state, Mr Mohammed Danmallam and his entourage, who had been on visitation to polling stations and booths monitoring security situations.

“Following the commissioner’s arrival, the issues were professionally handled as the agitatorswere peacefully dispersed.

“Normalcy returned to the area immediately, leading to commencement of distribution of electoral materials to centres and wards in Oji River and its environs.”

Amaraizu said officers and men of the police and other security agencies were still in their various election positions to ensure that there was no breakdown of law in the next few days.