The presidential election in which Nigerians yesterday decided the fate of President Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), General Muhammadu Buhari of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Malam Nuhu Ribadu of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Governor Ibrahim Shekarau of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and about sixteen others, was marred by violence, in the form of a bomb blast, and mob attacks.
Few days after an explosion rocked Mahuta village, a surbub of Kaduna, another explosion caused panic and tension in Kabala West, a settlement on the outskirts of Kaduna last night.
The explosion, which took place around 8.30pm, allegedly claimed two lives. According to eye witnesses, the explosion occurred at a popular hotel. Journalists who went close to the scene, were chased away and beaten up, by youths in the area.
Sunday Trust correspondent was turned back at Kabala junction by Good Samaritans. Police spokesman DSP Aminu Lawan confirmed the incident but did not give details, advising that he wanted to meet this reporter at the scene of the blast.
The bustling Kabala bus stop was bereft of human and vehicular traffic yester night
According to reports, there was tension in Kabala yesterday during the presidential polls because Muslims were allegedly refused to vote, a claim that has not be verified by Sunday Trust.
In Bauchi State, two persons were killed by irate youths for an alleged attempt to snatch a ballot box at Kofar Dumi Polling Unit in Bauchi metropolis yesterday.
The Caretaker Committee Chairman of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Alhaji Aliyu Sa’idu told Sunday Trust that “the two youths attempted to snatch a ballot box and some youths stopped them. The two were beaten to death. We had to cautioned our youths in Bauchi not to take law in to their hands, but people in the town were angry with the attitudes of the PDP who intimidated people in order to rig the election.”
In Tsakuwa Polling Station in Azare one member of the NYSC was stripped naked. In his account of the incident, an eye witness told Sunday Trust that the female corps member went to the polling unit with ballot papers in her pocket and was trying to drop them in the ballot boxes when the youths protested. They grabbed and stripped her naked, and refused to release her to the police until the end of the voting in the centre.”
In a related development, three people were beaten at General Hassan Usman Unity College. An eye-witness who is a resident of the area, Malam Dabo Abubakar Garba, told our reporter last night. He said the college is a collaction centre in Yalwa area of Bauchi State where youths caught the three who attempted to smuggle fake ballot boxes. They were stopped and beaten by the irate youths before they were handed over to the police.”
