By Eben Enasco
Tears and unforgettable pains swirled the mood of the family of a thirty-three-year-old graduate who was allegedly shot to dead by unknown political thugs during the February 25, 2023 Presidential and National Assembly Elections in Edo State, as his body was committed to mother earth in Benin City on Saturday.
The deceased, Festus Idahosa was killed alongside three others when some political thugs attacked a polling unit at ogheghe in Oredo Local Government, Area where he went to cast his votes.
The family who gathered to bury their son amidst tears and pain said the graduate was an entrepreneur who had concluded arrangements to pursue a master’s degree program in the UK before his untimely death.
Speaking shortly after laying the deceased to rest, his Uncle Kenneth Aigbe, said the late Festus Idahosa left his residence at Nomayo, upper Sakpoba area to Ogheghe at ward 5 unit 9 where his voting center was located.
Aigbe said he was shocked when he later received a call that Festus was shot to dead.
According to him, “I was called at about 8:pm that he was shot to death where he went to exercise his national franchise. That was the last I heard from him when he left to cast his votes at ogheghe ward 5 Unit 9 also Since that day, I have not been myself and it has been a very terrible experience”.
While lamenting his death, Kenneth Aigbe however, appealed to the Security Agents and the Federal Government to unravel the Killers using every paraphernalia within their coffers.
David Jaja, the deceased’s friend, and his elder sister, Eunice Imatitikua who added their voices, described his death as sad and hard to believe.
While lauding his patriotic tendency, for leaving his place of abode in Port Harcourt before his life was terminated by the suspected hoodlums, the duo said he died a hero.
Recall that, The graduate of Mythological Engineering from the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo State, left his base in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to vote in his hometown.
A stray bullet was said to have hit Idahosa who hailed from Egbokor Community in Orhionmwon Local Government Area of Edo State and a mother of two, Elizabeth Owie both of whom reportedly died on the spot, while one other victim was said to have died on the way to the hospital.
Another man who was shot in the head is still battling for survival at an undisclosed hospital in Benin City, Edo State capital.
In Eresonyen Primary School at Uhuogua Community, Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State, some Unknown Gunmen also invaded the voting center and carted away election materials.
The gunmen, suspected to be political thugs invaded with a no numbered black Audi Car between 10 and 11: am when voting had commenced and carted away some of the thumb-printed booklets.
Voters who saw the danger made attempts to scamper for their safety when they were stampeded resulting in varying degrees of injuries sustained.
One of the caregivers of the Internally Displaced Persons camp (IDPs), Pastor Evelyn Omigie who gave accounts of the incident, said the Eresonyen Primary School is part of Iguoshodi wards, Units 11 and 17 where voters from camp and other inhabitants of Uhuogua community cast their votes.
According to Pastor Omigie, the Gunmen numbering about four, shot into the air to scare unsuspected voters, disrupting the peaceful conduct of the local elections in the Uhuogua community.
