PDP Primaries: Bandits kill three delegates in Niger

Three out of the thirteenth delegates from Mariga Local government Areas of Niger were on Wednesday reportedly attacked and killed by bandits on their way back home to obtain their means of identification to enable them vote in yesterday’s Peoples Democratic Party Governorship Primary election.

Though their identities were not disclosed, the victims were two women and a male.
The late delegates who were from Mariga local government area of the state were said to have left back to their local government which is several kilometres from Minna late evening only to be killed by the bandits.

The sad news was broken at the Peoples Democratic Party Secretariat, Minna, venue of the Governorship primary.

The remaining ten delegates out of the thirteen had met with the Chairman of the State Electoral panel and Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State Mr. Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo to break the sad news to him after which it was publicly announced to the gathering.

The Chairman then ordered the delegates to observe a minute of silence in honour of the departed souls.

He also consulted with all the Aspirants for the replacement of the three dead delegates which they consented to after a brief deliberation.

Those who lost their lives in the incident were therefore substituted to complete the number of delegates from the local government.

In an interview, one of the delegates, Shehu Haruna told Journalists that the incident happened between Mariga and Tegina and four people lost their lives.

According to him “we left Minna in the late hours after PDP had postponed the Governorship Primaries to Thursday directed us to go and bring our voter’s card or any means of identification.

“We were returning home to get our means of identification and on the road, we ran into bandits who opened fire on our vehicle. Though we were able to escape since the driver was not hit but four people died instantly,” he declared. Vanguard