Larly ln 2011 Lwo persons suspecLed Lo be supporLers of a pollLlcal group were reporLedly

kllled aL dlfferenL locaLlons Cne of Lhe lncldences occurred ln Cwan federal consLlLuency whlle
a youLh leader ln uhunwmonde was allegedly shoL dead aL Lhe eve of Aprll 2011 naLlonal
Assembly elecLlon newspaper reporLs clalmed LhaL Lhe vlcLlms deaLh may noL be unconnecLed
wlLh a dlsagreemenL LhaL arose from Lhe sharlng formula of some looL glven Lo Lhe Lhugs by an
unnamed pollLlclan
Some analysLs are of Lhe vlew LhaL noL only Lhe Lhugs are Lo blame for Lhe rlslng wave of
pollLlcal vlolence ln Lhe pollLy as pollLlclans and securlLy agencles who release suspecLs afLer
recelvlng an order from Lhe above lnsLead of prosecuLlng Lhem Lo serve as deLerrence Lo
oLhers
A case ln polnL was when former Ma[orlLy Leader of Lhe sLaLe Pouse of Assembly Mr lrank
Cklye was allegedly arresLed by Lhe ollce ln 8enln over lllegal possesslon of pump acLlon rlffle
Lhe lawmaker was qulck Lo puL up a defense LhaL by vlrLue of hls poslLlon ln Lhe socleLy he
never acLed ln error Pe was laLer released by Lhe pollce auLhorlLles on self recognlLlon
8uL when Mr Cklye wenL ouL bragglng ollce spokesman AS eLer Cgbol explalned LhaL
Lhough Lhe law permlLs any nlgerlan Lhe llcense Lo carry speclflc flre arm(s) buL cerLalnly noL a
ump AcLlon
So as preparaLlon for Lhe 2012 governorshlp elecLlon gaLhers momenLum eoples uemocraLlc
arLy (u) chalrman ln Lhe sLaLe Chlef uan Crblh sLaLed recenLly LhaL Lhe elecLlon daLe would
mark Lhe end of Cshlomoles Lenure as Covernor 8uL AcLlon Congress of nlgerla (ACn)
SecreLary Chlef Csaro ldah replled LhaL Lhe parLys focus was noL abouL 2012 buL how good
governance would be dellvered Lo Lhe people
Some oLher newspaper reporL LhaL ln Lhe heaL of Lhe Aprll general elecLlons abouL 40
suspecLed Lhugs who were worklng for u were apprehended by Lhe pollce on Lhe order of a
former Pouse of 8epresenLaLlves member represenLlng Cwan lederal ConsLlLuency Mr
!ohnson Abulagba 8uL Lhe suspecLs who were paraded wlLh macheLes and oLher dangerous
weapons however clalmed Lo be reLurnlng from Lhelr rouLlne vlgllanLe waLch
AnoLher 31 members of War AgalnsL lndlsclpllne (WAl) who had converged aL Cba Akenzua 11
culLural cenLre on Lhe day of elecLlon walLlng Lo be Lo Lhe ferrled Lo oLher parLs of Lhe sLaLe for
undlsclosed mlsslon were apprehended by Lhe ollce
1he quesLlon on Lhe llps of observers ls LhaL whenever Lhere ls a clash of lnLeresL beLween Lwo
or more rlval groups whose lnsLrucLlon should Lhe nlgerlan ollce execuLe flrsL? Cne cannoL
also forgeL ln a hurry Lhe accusaLlons and counLer accusaLlons beLween leaders of an opposlLlon
parLy and rullng ACn governmenL ln Lhe sLaLe over Lhe lssue of smuggllng of llghL weapons ln
offlclal vehlcles
8efore Lhe Pouse of Assembly rerun elecLlon ln AkokoLdo ln 2009 seven lndlvlduals had gone
Lo courL Lo sLop lnLC from conducLlng Lhe elecLlon on grounds LhaL Lhey were denled Lhelr
fundamenLal human rlghLs over !anuary 23rd 2009 AkokoLdo 11 rerun
ConsequenLly on Lhe eve of Lhe elecLlon Mr Anslem Agbabls prlvaLe resldence ln AkokoLdo
was aLLacked aL nlghL by armed Lhugs allegedly hlred by ACn 1hey also rlddled wlLh bulleLs a
funcLlonal Lransformer servlng Lhe area 1he conLenders were Lhe Lhen u candldaLe Anslem
Agbabl who had [usL defecLed Lo ACn and now appolnLed by Comrade Cshlomhole as LranslLlon
commlLLee chalrman of AkokoLdo local governmenL area Pls rlval Mr kablru A[oLu ls
currenLly Lhe lawmaker represenLlng Lhe consLlLuency
8uL on Lhe eve of elecLlon Mr A[oLu was reporLed Lo have gone Lo Ckene ln kogl sLaLe where
hls moLher halls from Lo lmporL suspecLed Lhugs AnoLher parallel group led by Mr
Csakpanmwan Lrlyo besleged Lhe locallLy Cver 27 flre arms were allegedly recovered from Lhe
Lhugs
1rouble sLarLed when armed men aLLached Lo Lhe former Ma[orlLy Leader of Pouse of
8epresenLaLlves Col 1unde Akogun (rLd) lald slege aL Ayegunle polllng ward where over 40
percenL of Lhe LoLal voLes were recorded 1hey were suddenly engaged wlLh oLher armed Lhugs
followlng an lnLelllgence reporL LhaL Mr Akogun armed men had allegedly aLLempLed Lo sLuff
Lhe balloL wlLh Lhe already Lhumb prlnLed balloL papers ln hls bedroom