10 feared dead as Sheriff holds rally in Maiduguri

Posted by admin Bauchi, State News Tuesday, March 29th, 2011

NOT fewer than 10 people were reported to have been killed, following gunmen’s attack, few minutes to the zonal rally of the All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP) in Maidu-guri, the Borno State capital.

The attacks, according eyewitnesses, were carried out at aTotal petrol station near the venue of the rally, as well as in Gwange ward, which threw the crowd at the rally into confusion, with six people reported dead during the stampede.

Nigerian Tribune learnt through an eyewitness at the Ramat Square, on Tuesday, that there were gunshots and that the six people killed were not all as a result of stampede, but stray bullets.

However, the assistant commissioner of police in charge of operations at the police headquarters in Maiduguri, Zakari Adamu, told the Nigerian Tribune that the police were not aware of killings or stampede at the rally, but informed that the police had arrested two persons with locally-made bomb near the venue of the rally.

According to him, the police made the arrests during a stop and search operation, when they intercepted a vehicle with three people on board and bomb explosives.

He said although one of them escaped, the two were in the police custody, while investigation would be carried out soon to ensure protection of life and property during the elections.

Zakari added that the incident did not in any way disrupt the rally, adding that the police were ready to ensure the conduct of free and fair elections in the state

-Tribunewp_posts