How APC thugs burnt my wife to death – Husband of Kogi PDP Woman Leader

 

BY OUR EDITOR

Elder Simeon Babani Abuh, widower of late Mrs Salome Acheju Abuh, Woman Leader of People’s Democratic Party (PDP), in Ochadamu Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi, has narrated how thugs said to be supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC), gruesomely murdered his wife, even after the APC candidate and governor of the state, Yahaya Bello, had been declared winner by INEC.

In a statement issued Thursday in Abuja, Elder Abuh cried out for justice over the killing of his wife by political thugs, saying the light of his family had been put out.

VANGUARD reports that the killing of Mrs Salome Abuh, in the aftermath of the celebration that trailed the re-election of Yahaya Bello, in last Saturday’s governorship election, had elicited outrage from Nigerians who described the incident as wicked and inhuman.

Elder Abuh’s reaction came on a day the Police in Kogi State said they were almost at the root of fishing out perpetrators of the killing.

Recounting events that led to his wife’s killing, he described the attack and murder of his wife on Monday, November 18, 2019, as premeditated, adding that his late wife was resting from an earlier attack she suffered on election day, when the house was surrounded and burnt by the thugs, with the deceased inside.

He said: “My attention is being drawn to various stories both offline and online regarding the sorrowful death of my beloved wife, Mrs Salome Acheju Abuh, on Monday, November 18, 2019, which happened at Ochadamu Ofu Local Government area of Kogi State Nigeria.

“I am constrained to set the records straigth, despite the heaviness and pain I feel at present.  My wife, a devout Christian, a lover of peace who hates anything violent, was a grassroot politician/community leader. She was a women leader for the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, from the early years of her political career.

“She had her first elective position as a councillor in Ofu Local Government Council of Kogi State between 2003 and 2007, she contested for Idah Federal Constituency for House of Representative in 2007 and was the only woman among the contestants.

“She was also a Special Assistant on Grassroot Matters to former Governor Idris Wada. She also contested in the last general elections for the State House of Assembly in 2019, all under the PDP platform. Until this unfortunate incident, she was an active member of the party, a campaign team member for Engr. Musa Wada and the PDP Woman leader.

“On Saturday, November 16, 2019, at the Ochadamu Primary School polling unit, one of the attackers, in the company of other boys, told me that he was going to deal with my younger brother, Gowon Abuh, who is a strong supporter of the PDP.

“He further said that this election is for the APC and that there was nothing anyone can do about it. I politely told him that there was no need for this, that we are all brothers, that we all drink the same flowing river, went to the same playing ground in the community and that we shall still remain in the community, politics notwithstanding.

“After casting my vote, I headed home, leaving my wife behind to watch the electoral process. After some time, my brother, Gowon, ran back home to inform me that  one of the attackers was beating my wife where she was sitting under a shade observing the process and that when he (Gowon Abuh) and other people tried to intervene, he  attempted to stab him, and he had to run back home.

“As we were still talking, one Elder Samuel Salami Agbali brought my wife on his motorcycle to our compound and advised that we rush her to hospital.

“I took her to Holy Memorial Hospital, Ochadamu, where she was attended to by one Dr. Agama. She was examined and given some drugs and advised to rest due to the trauma of the attack. After the election, I returned to Abuja where I reside, leaving her behind to rest for a few days as advised by the doctor.

“I was constantly on phone with her. On Monday, November 18, at about 12am, my younger brother in Lokoja, Pst. Mark Abuh, called me that there was trouble at home, that the attacker and others were in a drinking joint close to our house, boasting how they were going to deal with Gowon, our younger brother, who narrowly escaped their attack on Saturday.

“According to his report, Solomon, Gowon’s son, overheard him boasting, pleaded with them on his father’s behalf to forget about the incident. At this point, one of them picked up a bottle and started pursing Solomon.

“While pursuing Solomon, he tripped and fell on his own knife which was tied around his waist and unfortunately injured himself on the thigh.

“Solomon ran home to inform his father (Gowon Abuh) of what had transpired. Meanwhile, the injured attacker was rushed to Holy Memorial Hospital at Ochadamu.  After the conversation with my brother, Pastor Mark Abuh, I immediately put a call home to Ojonugwa Alhassan, my cousin, who told me he was at the hospital where the injured person was being attended to.

“According to him, the hospital, after administering first aid treatment, requested for a police report before further treatment. While the doctors were waiting for the police report, friends of the injured got agitated and moved him to another hospital where he lost his life.

“When the news of his death filtered into town, angry APC supporters came to the town shooting sporadically. People scampered for their lives and the APC supporters headed to my house where my wife was resting, unaware of what was happening in the community.

“The supporters surrounded my house, shooting sporadically and further set the house ablaze and burnt my wife to death and completely burnt down the entire buildings in my compound.

“Afterwards, the APC supporters headed to four other houses in the community owned by known PDP supporters and burnt them down.

“Let me conclude here that the attack on my wife on Saturday and the one carried out on Monday, November 18, 2019, when my wife and mother of my children was resting in our family house, were premeditated.

“I hereby appeal for justice to prevail over this gruesome murder of my wife and loss of properties.”

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