50 Killed In Last Saturday’s Election —NHRC

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), on Monday, said no fewer than 50 people were killed during and after last Saturday’s presidential and National Assembly elections.



A statement by the chairman of the commission’s governing council, Dr Chidi Odinkalu, said NHRC commended Nigerians for refusing to be cowed by hiccups in the electoral process.
Odinkalu noted that the voting process was not without some challenges, including violence and security breaches, as there were incidents, reports and allegations of various forms of violence from different parts of the country, including some reported attacks by extremists in some parts of north-eastern Nigeria, designed to frustrate the elections.
He added that acts of violence resulting in fatalities had been reported in Akwa Ibom, Borno, Bauchi, Edo, Gombe, Lagos, Osun, Rivers and Yobe states, adding that: “At the end of Monday, the number of persons reported killed in these attacks and incidents was over 50.
“This number includes one state legislator, a community leader and two ad hoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), allegedly killed in extremists’ attack in Gombe State, as well as the killing of asset of the Nigerian armed forces in Rivers State. 
“There were also reported cases of injuries from politically-motivated violence in Edo, Ekiti, Imo, Lagos, and Kano states, as well as allegations of snatching of ballot boxes, card readers and related election materials in some states, including Akwa Ibom, Benue, Gombe, Imo, Niger, and Rivers states.”
Odinkalu said there were also isolated, but very worrying reports of arson attacks on assets of INEC and of the Nigeria Police in some parts of the Niger Delta.
The commission also noted that widespread availability of small arms and light weapons in some parts of the country, especially in parts of Akwa Ibom, Imo, Delta, Rivers and Benue states.
Odinkalu commiserated with the families of those who lost their relatives, adding that those who killed them should be brought to book.
“All acts of election-related violence must be condemned unreservedly and the killing and attacks on uniformed personnel of the security agencies, as well as the killing of INEC staff.
He said those responsible must be held to account, adding that such political violence dishonoured the high sense of civic pride, sacrifice and co-existence shown by Nigerians throughout this period. 
“The right to life remains the foundation of all human rights, including the right to vote. Election violence undermines both the right to life and the right to vote,” Odinkalu said.
He called on INEC and politicians not to tamper with collation of election results, in order to ensure that the election was not followed by violence.
He said: “Now that voting is over, the best guarantee of a violence-free election is a credible count and collation. This is the statutory responsibility of INEC.  
“The tabulation of results from 150,000 polling units and voting points is a demanding logistical operation. It is also usually the most difficult phase of any election process. It is natural for citizens and communities to be anxious.
“This is also where conscience and patriotism beckon on all the political parties, political leaders, communities, citizens and institutions to do the right thing,” he added. 

Culled from Tribune

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