Unknown gunmen targeted Mr. David Umar Mike, the secretary of the Kogi State Governorship Election Tribunal, in an attack where sensitive petition documents linked to the recently held gubernatorial election were stolen.
According to State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP William Aya on Wednesday, armed assailants robbed five political parties’ petition documents, which included materials from the Action Alliance (AA), Action People’s Party (APP), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Social Democratic Party (SDP), along with personal items belonging to Mr. Mike.
The stolen items comprised two record books and a bag.
The incident unfolded near the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) office around 1:20 PM on Monday while Mr. Mike and colleagues were en route to the tribunal’s location at the state High Court complex in Lokoja.
Mr. Mike, along with his colleagues, reported the occurrence to the State Criminal Investigation Department on December 4th, 2023.
The police revealed that armed, hooded men in SUVs blocked Mr. Mike’s vehicle, fired shots, forcibly removed them from the car, and plundered the petition documents.
“That just before the CBN at about 1320hrs, one SUV vehicle which had earlier overtaken him blocked his car with two other SUVs following behind.
“All of them surrounded and blocked him as he attempted to reverse. That he saw about seven hooded men all heavily armed and dressed in black attire who shot severally into the air and dragged him and his two other colleagues out of their car, ransacked the car and made away with all the petition documents.”
The State Commissioner of Police, CP Onuoha Benthrand, has ordered a comprehensive investigation into the incident.
Authorities have urged the public to refrain from making statements that might influence the ongoing investigation.
