Two Female Protesters Killed In Anamba As Ngige ,Obi Blame Game Continues

Anambra State Governor, Mr. Peter Obi and the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in last Saturday's governorship election in the state, Senator Chris Ngige, yesterday squabbled over the alleged killing of two female protesters in Awka.

Ngige's spokesman, Mr. Okelo Madukaife, had in a statement claimed that the two women met their death when policemen shot into a crowd of women protesting the conduct of the election.
However, Obi's Senior Special Assistant, Media and Publicity, Mr. Valentine Obienyem, disputed the claim, saying it was a figment of Ngige's imagination.

Also, the crisis of confidence between the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the party's governorship candidate, Mr. Tony Nwoye, over the election remained unresolved following their different positions on the outcome of the poll.

According to the Ngige camp, the two women, identified as Anne Ifesi and Hannah Njiko, were feared dead when a contingent of policemen tried to disperse the protesters who were marching on the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Awka, to demand the cancellation of the governorship election.

In addition, it said 19 others who sustained varying degree of injuries from beatings and the inhalation of teargas were rushed to a private hospital in Awka for treatment.

It added that some 700 women, ranging from ages 25 to 70 and drawn from the 21 local government areas of the state, were on their way to the INEC headquarters when policemen manning various points at the INEC office intercepted them and engaged them in an argument.

“The situation degenerated when one of the riot policemen shot live ammunition twice on the ground burrowing the tarred road, before his colleagues acting on a telephone clearance from what one officer later described as order from above, dispersed nine teargas canisters into the crowd, in quick succession.
“This led to a stampede that left five women unconscious and 19 injured. But undeterred, the women regrouped at the Arroma Junction, where they were intercepted by men of the State Security Service (SSS) who tried to seize their placards, but the women engaged them in a physical combat, recovering all the placards

“Some of the placards read: ‘Jonathan, leave Anambra Alone’, 'Free and fair election is a must!’, 'Jega is worse than Iwu', ‘Sack Onukogu Now’ and  ‘No fresh election, No governor,’” the statement from Ngige’s aide added.

It explained that of the five unconscious women who were rushed to the private hospital, three regained consciousness while the two others were feared dead.

But Obi disputed the claim, saying it was concocted by the Ngige camp to draw sympathy from the public following his loss in the governorship election.

Obienyem, in a statement yesterday, said: “Journalists in Awka brought to my attention the news being circulated by Dr. Chris Ngige's Media Assistant, Mr. Okelo Madukaife, alleging that two protesting women where shot at Awka.

“I was later informed that Dr. Chris Ngige personally sent text messages to them as he did when the Uke tragedy occurred begging them to use the story.
“The story is completely fabricated and the names mentioned are non-existent, otherwise let them mention the name of the hospital.

“How can a former governor, illegal though, and now a serving senator, be an embodiment of fraud? He is desperately trying to convince people that if the election is not cancelled, there will be violence.”
The election has also caused a disagreement in the camp of the PDP as the state leadership of the party and Nwoye maintained different positions yesterday on its outcome