Thugs suspected to be from a camp of Governor Wike of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Rivers State have attacked some supporters of the same party, but loyal to Atiku Abubakar, its presidential candidate.
It was gathered that the coordinator of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council in Omuma LGA, Nnamdi Nwogu was among the persons attacked and that the victims were inflicted with machete cuts and gunshot wounds.
The incident happened at Eberi-Omuma, Omuma Local Government Area of the state on Sunday.
It was learned that the victims were pasting the campaign posters of the PDP’s presidential candidate, Atiku before they were attacked.
It was alleged that the attack was perpetrated on the direction of a PDP leader in the area as opposed to the candidacy of Atiku.
The PDP presidential campaign director in the area, Nwogu, while confirming the development yesterday, said over 30 youths with machetes and guns pounced on them while they were pasting Atiku’s campaign poster.
He alleged that the attack was ordered by a political leader in the area, saying one of Atiku’s supporters who happened to be his assistant, Udochukwu Nwakpala, was shot.
The PDP leader disclosed that Nwakpala was in critical condition, but already receiving attention in an undisclosed hospital.
“Three days ago, I gave my boys posters of Atiku to paste in my local government, and yesterday (Sunday), I now called one of my boys, Udochukwu and a friend of mine to join me to see if the posters were pasted the way I had directed.
“When we got to the place, I saw the posters in some areas. But I noticed that the posters were not at the strategic place called Eberi-Omuma.
“I said okay since I am around let me ensure it was done. I said come and paste these posters here.
“While I was there inspecting them, I noticed one of the councillors in Ward 1, saw what they were doing.
“He (councillor) went back and made a telephone call. The next thing, we saw over 30 boys armed with machetes and guns.
“These boys looked at me, they started attacking us. They used machetes on my boy, Udochukwu, and harassed me and my friend with machetes.”
He said the matter has been reported to the Eberi-Omuma and Okehi police stations and called on the police and the Federal Government to intervene.
However, at press time, calls and text messages made to the spokesman of PDP in the state, Sydney Gbara, were neither returned nor responded to.
Also, the Public Relations Officer of the state police command, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, could not confirm the report.
