Family member narrates how thugs killed Tonye Cole’s campaign DG on election day

Brave Dickson

The family of the slain Director General of Tonye Cole’s governorship campaign in Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State, Chiosom Lennard has decided to tell the press how the victim was killed on the day of the governorship election in the state.

The state was among some other states across the country that took part in the March 18 governorship and house of assembly elections.

A brother to the victim who pleaded anonymity over fear of being attacked told our correspondent that: “The late Chiosom happened to be my brother. During the governorship election, Chiosom was also the ward agent supervising the election at Ubeta Community in Ahoada West.

“I was with him on the day of the election when PDP was giving voters N1,000 after they have voted and was also telling the voters to write down their names.

“Chiosom was trying to discourage vote buying by telling PDP to stop giving money to voters and that voters should not write their names at the polling units.

“While Chiosom was discouraging vote buying at the polling units, I personally noticed a movement. People who came with their cars started entering their cars and zooming off.

“Much later, Chiosom got a call that some boys are hijacking election materials at unit one. So, he drove to the unit to ensure that there was peace.

“As Chiosom got there, he saw the thugs who have already hijacked election materials from ward 10 and Ubeta unit five.

“While the thugs were rampaging the area, they saw Esor Godspower Ahaju and Okpara Chinyere and shot them dead.

“Chiosom ran to the scene and was trying to calm the armed thugs by telling them to give dialogue a chance. The armed thugs ordered Chiosom to enter his own car. Chiosom was still appealing for dialogue when the thugs forcefully drove him to an unknown destination.

“Then, I got the first call that my brother Chiosom has been whisked away by some armed thugs. 30 minutes later, I got another call that my brother has been shot dead and abandoned in his pool of blood.”