Some gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have abducted one of the ad hoc staff members of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Cross River who was conducting the rerun election in the state.
The gunmen also left the polling unit with a lot of materials meant for the voting exercise. The INEC’s commissioner in charge of south-south region, Mohammed Lecky, confirmed the development on Saturday, January 25.
Lecky disclosed that the abducted staff was attacked by the assailant on his way to the Abi constituency, adding that other ad hoc workers who were kidnapped alongside the victim have been released.
The commissioner went on to say that the staff included the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members. However, the police command in the state has said that the exercise in the Abi/Yakurr federal constituency has been smooth, even if it admitted that there were cases of ballot snatching earlier in the day.
DSP Irene Ugbo, the police public relations officer in the state, said that peace has returned to places where there were pockets of violence.
Earlier, The Herald reported that Mary, the wife of Reverend Lawan Andimi, has said she took solace in the fact that her husband did not renounce Jesus Christ before being executed by Boko Haram terrorists on January 20.
Until his death, Andimi, a father of nine, was the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Michika Local Government Area of Adamawa State.
The cleric was abducted on January 2 by Boko Haram fighters. His abductors later released a video that confirmed he was in their custody.
The abductors also increased their ransom demand from N50m to €2m (about N800m). It was gathered that he was killed for refusing to renounce his faith.
Mary in an interview with The Punch said that her husband’s refusal to renounce Christ in the video has strengthened her faith.