L
LequteMan
Guest
Details have emerged on how Samuel Okonta, a member of the National Youth Service Corps, from Ambrose Ali University, Ekpoma, was murdered in cold blood during the Rivers election rerun on Saturday night.
Okonta served as the Assistant Presiding Officer (APO II) for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)at Ukpeliede Town Hall, Ward 6, Unit 5 in Ahoada West Local Government during the last Saturday’s rerun elections in Rivers State.
Okonta’s colleague, Anana Aniekan Udoetor, narrated what transpired after votes were cast. He said he was in the company of the late Okonta departing INEC’s office when his killers tracked them and shot sporadically at them.
“I was the APO I, while Okonta was the APO II at the Ukpeliede town hall, Ward 6, Unit 5, we had conducted the elections peacefully without even the presence of security agents.
“We proceeded to the INEC collation centre to submit our results, on reaching there, the environment was tense and supporters of both APC and PDP were charged. We managed to submit our results, but while we were submitting them, there was an alarm of skirmishes, forcing the collation officers to hide under the table,” he disclosed.
“We felt that the INEC office was no longer safe, so we then made our way to Ndiama junction and took a taxi to Okode junction. We were supposed to board a (commercial) motorcycle, but we couldn’t get one, so we decided to trek down to Ukpeliede.
“Shortly after, we saw a vehicle coming and we noticed that the head lamps of the vehicle was not on and someone in the vehicle was pointing a torchlight at us.
“We suddenly realised that the vehicle was coming directly towards us and before we knew what was happening, we started hearing gunshots. I ran inside the bush but they kept on shooting. Okonta was killed in the process.
“I stayed in the bush for some minutes and later ran into an uncompleted building which is used as a church,” he said.
Okonta served as the Assistant Presiding Officer (APO II) for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)at Ukpeliede Town Hall, Ward 6, Unit 5 in Ahoada West Local Government during the last Saturday’s rerun elections in Rivers State.
Okonta’s colleague, Anana Aniekan Udoetor, narrated what transpired after votes were cast. He said he was in the company of the late Okonta departing INEC’s office when his killers tracked them and shot sporadically at them.
“I was the APO I, while Okonta was the APO II at the Ukpeliede town hall, Ward 6, Unit 5, we had conducted the elections peacefully without even the presence of security agents.
“We proceeded to the INEC collation centre to submit our results, on reaching there, the environment was tense and supporters of both APC and PDP were charged. We managed to submit our results, but while we were submitting them, there was an alarm of skirmishes, forcing the collation officers to hide under the table,” he disclosed.
“We felt that the INEC office was no longer safe, so we then made our way to Ndiama junction and took a taxi to Okode junction. We were supposed to board a (commercial) motorcycle, but we couldn’t get one, so we decided to trek down to Ukpeliede.
“Shortly after, we saw a vehicle coming and we noticed that the head lamps of the vehicle was not on and someone in the vehicle was pointing a torchlight at us.
“We suddenly realised that the vehicle was coming directly towards us and before we knew what was happening, we started hearing gunshots. I ran inside the bush but they kept on shooting. Okonta was killed in the process.
“I stayed in the bush for some minutes and later ran into an uncompleted building which is used as a church,” he said.
