INEC official attacked by thugs leaves hospital

Aba—An official of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Sunday Chigozie who had been in hospital following injuries he sustained after being attacked by some hoodlums believed to be political thugs, has been discharged. Narrating his ordeal to South East Voice, Chigozie said he was attacked during the Saturday, April 11, 2015, governorship/ state assembly elections, while travelling to Umuahia to see his boss, who had asked him to bring some items for her at the INEC state headquarters.

Chigozie said as he was approaching the main entrance to the INEC building located within the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Currency Centre in Umuahia, he saw some youths wearing the branded T-shirts of the leading governorship candidate in the state, carrying machetes and clubs.

On sighting him, the irate youths rushed towards his direction, beating and clubbing him while one of them drew his machete and gave him a deep cut at the back side of his head, saying he was among those who did not want their principal to be governor.

Chigozie said even his explanation that he was a staff of INEC did not not stop the youths from further inflicting injuries on him. “My explanations that I was not a politician but a staff of INEC, fell on deaf ears as they kept on beating me until some mobile policemen came to my rescue,” he said. After he was rescued, Chigozie was first rushed to a private hospital in Umuahia where his condition was stabilised before being taken to Aba where he had been on admission until his discharge.