Thugs chase, kill INEC staffer in Jos

Gov. Jonah Jang

A group of hoodlums yesterday chased and killed an ad hoc staffer of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) while two soldiers who were trying to save him were badly injured at the Tina Junction in Jos North local government area of Plateau state. Our correspondent reports that the victim, Murtala Ibrahim, a law graduate, was attacked and killed when six INEC ad hoc staffers went to the area to collect registration materials for their ward in preparation for the voter registration exercise.

According to an eyewitness, Umar M. Adam, who was among those who escaped the mob attack, they went to the area early in the morning to collect the materials when they were surrounded by a group of youths who attacked them.

Adam said the initial place where they used to collect the materials during every election or voter registration exercise was at Baptist School, but during this exercise the venue was shifted to St. Philip Academy. He said, “At first, we were reluctant to go there considering the nature of what is happening in Jos, but we were assured by the Electoral Officer (E.O) that nothing will happen to us.”

He said despite the fact that they were accompanied by some soldiers, they were still attacked, and that the two soldiers that were accompanying them sustained injuries on the leg and head respectively, after rescuing them.

According to Adam, four of them, including Murtala Muhammed, Salisu Husaini and Abdul Salam Yusuf were hidden in a classroom by one police woman, while Jamilu and the deceased (Murtala Ibrahim) hid inside one of the soldiers’ outposts in the area. He said, “Jamilu narrowly escaped, while Murtala (the deceased) and the two soldiers who were trying to control the youths were overpowered and in the end Murtala was killed and the two soldiers were injured”.

Adam added that it took the intervention of two armoured tankers and two Hilux vehicles filled with soldiers before they were rescued, adding that one of the vehicles belonging to the soldiers was badly damaged by the rampaging youths.

The Special Task Force (STF) spokesperson Captain Charles Ekoacha confirmed the incident to newsmen. Although this aspect was not confirmed by the STF, Daily Trust learnt that two of the hoodlums were killed while some of them were injured in the struggle to rescue the INEC ad hoc staff.

Meanwhile, the Special Military Task Force on the Jos crisis [STF] yesterday received orders to fire at any person or group of persons attempting to kill or to burn a public building in the state.

STF spokesman Capt. Charles Ekeocha said the order was received yesterday in reaction to the unrest at Tina Junction where an INEC staff who took cover in the tent of the soldiers while a mob was pursuing him was killed and his body was set ablaze while the soldiers watched helplessly. Ekeocha said the order took effect from yesterday. He said any act of violence from any individual or group henceforth would be met by force.

“We have been ordered to shoot and kill anybody trying to kill another or anybody trying to burn down a church or a mosque,” he said. The STF spokesman cautioned elders and parents in the community to talk to their wards not to take the laws into their hands, saying the kind of scenario that played out on Monday where an official on duty was killed right under their nose would not be allowed to happen again.