Nigeria Content Online

Violence yesterday
marred the National Assembly election in Ile-Ife, Osun state, as five
people were murdered in the early hours of the day in a church. The
dead include two aides of Rotimi Makinde, the Action Congress of
Nigeria House of Representatives candidate for the Ife federal
constituency. The other three are the husband of the founder of the
Cherubim and Seraphim Church, identified as Baba Akin, his son Wale and
a worshipper of the church whose name is still unknown.

Security sources
said that suspected thugs invaded the residence of Mr. Makinde around
2.30am and started shooting sporadically. In an attempt to escape from
the assassins’ bullets, the two aides ran into the church where they
were eventually overpowered and shot. Mr. Makinde, who was not at home
when the assailants came, said that the intention of the killer squad
was to eliminate him.

Osun state governor, Rauf Aregbesola, said he had alerted security agents in the state to find the murderers.

The state
commissioner of police, Peter Gana, said that the police had launched
an investigation into the matter, adding that no arrests had been made
yet. In most parts of the state, including Ede, Osogbo, Okuku, Ikirun,
Ilesa, Iragbiji, Iree and Iba, the turnout of voters was relatively
high but not as high as last Saturday. Voting materials arrived at
various destinations at the appropriate time while the accreditation of
voters also started on schedule.

Mr. Aregbesola and
the former governor of the state, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, commended INEC
and security agents for their efforts in conducting a free and fair
election. The Accord Party’s senatorial candidate for Osun Central
senatorial district, Felix Ogunwale, praised the efforts of Governor
Aregbeesola for ensuring peace in the state. Police spokesperson,
Olugbemileke Taiwo, said a majority of those arrested during
yesterday’s election were those that disobeyed the ‘no movement of
vehicles’ order given by the police.

“Many vehicles and motorcycles were impounded at various police stations across the state,” he said.