Nigerian police are investigating a death at a Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) campaign march in Delta State after officials and a candidate gave differing accounts of the casualties.
The Delta State Police Command said one person was killed and five people were injured on Nnebisi Road in Asaba on Nov. 7. Officers took injured people to a hospital. Police said the victims had not been identified when it issued its statement.
Police said organizers proceeded with the road march after officers warned of possible violence and recommended a designated venue.
Former Nigerian deputy Senate president Ovie Omo-Agege, the NDC candidate for Delta Central’s Senate seat, called on police in a Nov. 8 statement to identify the deceased, establish how the person died and prosecute those responsible. His office alleged that armed men acted for elements of the Delta State Government and the Delta State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC). That allegation is unverified; police have not identified those responsible.
Omo-Agege’s office also claimed more than 10 supporters were injured and more than 30 vehicles damaged. Both claims are unverified. The state government said four people were seriously injured. The casualty counts have not been reconciled.
The government condemned the violence. The Delta APC Campaign Council also condemned it and called for an impartial investigation. Police said their investigation would establish the circumstances of the incident and identify those responsible.
