Some yet-to-be-identified gunmen have attacked the constituency office of the House of Representatives spokesperson, Hon. Benjamin Kalu in Bende, Abia State.
Speaking to journalists on Saturday, January 28, 2023, Kalu condemned the attack, describing the attack as an act of cowardice.
He said that over 100 bullet shells were found in the aftermath of the attack that destroyed the windows and doors of the office.
Kalu who did not report any loss of life said there was no presence of any security agents until the gunmen left, informing however that the matter had been reported to the police station at Uzuakoli.
He said “My office in Bende located at Uzuakoli constituency was on Jan 27 at exactly 10 p.m attacked and over a 100 bullet were found, destroying the windows, the doors
“Other items affected includes the ceiling and the APC flag which were pulled down and turned into shreds, my billboards were also destroyed.”
The spokesman said the development was unreal to the advancement of democracy in Nigeria, wonderingly the reason for the attack.
“The past three and half years, I have dedicated my servant leadership position to better the lots of my people with infrastructures attracted through the office of the President.
“My political party as a ruling party has shown presence in my federal constituency in education, health, infrastructure among others.
“This was possible because my representation put the people at the centre stage which has offended many people who have wanted the status quo ante to remain.”
He left a message for the mastermind of the attack, saying his party, the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, has left traces of good governance in his constituency.
“My message to them is that my party has left evidence of good governance to the people of my constituency”, Kalu said.
Panic As Gunmen Murder Imo Labour Party House Of Assembly Candidate
Gunmen have murdered the Labour Party, LP, Imo State House of Assembly Candidate for Onuimo Local Government Area Mr Christopher Eleghu.
The Imo State Police Command spokesman Mike Abattam said the incident happened in the early hours of Friday at Mr Eleghu’s country home in the Umucheke community of Onuimo council.
The assassins, he said, set his home ablaze after killing him and also burnt down his vehicle and other valuables.
He said the Imo State Commissioner of Police Mohammed Barde has ordered an investigation into the unfortunate incident and has also activated all tactical units of the command to go after the assailants for possible arrest and apprehension.
Some weeks back, an LP women leader in Kaduna Victoria Chintex was killed.
Gunmen have equally targeted offices of the Independent National Electoral Commission in the South-East state in the past months. The most recent one which happened a few days back claimed some lives.
In his reaction to the attacks, Governor Hope Uzodimma linked them to political actors.
“If we collaborate this with the events of the past, we have continuously said that what is happening in Imo State is politically contrived,” he said when he visited the Imo Police headquarters after one of the attacks.
“Some people think that they can win the election yet they don’t want the election. How would they now win?”
But INEC said critical materials were not destroyed in the incident.
“The attack affected the part of the building occupied by the Election and Party Monitoring (EPM) Department and one official utility vehicle (a Toyota Hilux pickup van) were burnt,” INEC’s National Commissioner Festus Okoye said in a statement hours after the incident.
“This is the third attack on the Commission’s facilities in Imo State in less than two weeks following the earlier attacks on our Orlu LGA office on Thursday 1st December 2022 and Oru West LGA office on Sunday 4th December 2022.”
Source: Vanguard
