Collation Officer Kidnapped As Explosion Disrupts Voting In Abia Bye-election

One of the collation officers of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the ongoing Aba North/Aba South Federal Constituency bye-election has reportedly been abducted.

The victim identified as Engr. Mike Ozoemena is the collation officer of the APC in Aba North Local Government Area of Abia State.

Ozomena, who was also the Campaign Officer of Mascot Uzor Kalu, the APC candidate in the constituency, was said to have been abducted by gunmen in the early hours of the day.

In a telephone conversation with Daily Trust, Spokesman of the APC in Abia, said efforts made to locate Ozomena have been fruitless.

“Engr. Mike Ozoemena, Director of Publicity, Mascot Uzor-Kalu Campaign and APC Collation Officer in Aba North has been whisked away by some men on white Hilux from his ward, Industrial Ward-2 Aba North to an unknown destination.

“We don’t know his whereabouts. We don’t know where they took him to; we are calling for immediate rescue,” he said.

When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Geoffrey Ogbonna, said he is not aware of the kidnap as the party is yet to make a formal complaint to the police.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had fixed the election for Saturday after the seat of Ossy Prestige, the lawmaker who represented the constituency, was declared vacant.

Prestige, who was a member of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) died in a German hospital on February 6, 2021.

MEANWHILE Staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission and voters scampered for safety on Saturday when an explosion rocked the Umuola Hall, Ward 8, Ogbor Hill, Aba North Council in Abia State.

The incident occurred during the ongoing bye-election into the Aba North-South Federal Constituency seat.

Although no life was lost in the explosion but electoral materials were destroyed.

Security agents had stormed the area and restored order, and while voting had resumed.

A voter, who gave his name as Chinedu Eze, said they were in the queue when a loud sound enveloped the area and everyone fled.

He said, “We were in the queue, some people were being accredited to cast their votes when we heard a loud sound. Everybody took to their heels. It was a bomb and we didn’t know where it came from.”

Efforts to get the reaction of the INEC as well as the State Commissioner of Police, Janet Agbede, were not successful as of the time of filing this report.