Tension has gripped parts of Orumba South Local Government Area of Anambra State following the reported killing of a councillor during the ongoing local government elections.
According to eyewitnesses, gunmen invaded Owerre Ezukala Ward 1 on Saturday morning, disrupting voting activities and shooting sporadically. In the chaos, a serving councillor from the area was said to have been fatally shot while attempting to cast his vote.
A resident, Iyke Orji, who spoke to journalists, described the incident as shocking and tragic.
“While voting in Owerre Ezukala Ward 1, unknown gunmen came in and shot a top person and left. The councillor of Owerre Ezukala was fatally shot by the men,” he said.
The attack caused panic among voters and electoral officials, forcing many to flee the polling unit for safety. Voting was temporarily suspended in the area as security operatives moved in to restore order.
However, the Anambra State Police Command has dismissed reports of violence, insisting that the election has been largely peaceful.
Police spokesperson SP Tochukwu Ikenga said there was no official record of such an attack as of press time.
“In fact, the state has been peaceful all along, and the atmosphere calm. There is no incident of violence in the state that I’m aware of at least for now,” Ikenga said.
Meanwhile, the Obidient Movement has raised concerns about the conduct of the election, alleging heavy monetisation and vote buying across various polling units in the state.
The movement’s national coordinator, Yunusa Tanko, said the group had deployed observers to track incidents of electoral malpractice.
“We are worried that money has continued to influence voter behaviour. It’s becoming a major threat to Nigeria’s democracy,” Tanko said.
The Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission (ANSIEC) had earlier announced the schedule for the elections, promising a transparent and credible process.
Saturday’s violence, however, has sparked renewed debate about security and electoral integrity in Nigeria’s Southeast region, where attacks on political figures and polling centres have been recurrent.
As of the time of filing this report, normalcy was said to have returned to Owerre Ezukala, though residents remain on edge.
