Armed Thugs Attack Mark's Campaign Convoy

ABUJA, March 18, (THEWILL) - Armed thugs today ambushed and launched a serious attack on the campaign train of the President of the Senate, Senator David Mark on his way to Igumale, the headquarters of Ado Local Government Area of Benue State.

The attack came a week after Mark’s opponent in the senatorial contest, Major General Onoja (rtd) was reportedly said to have survived alleged assassins bullet.

In a statement signed by Director of Publicity of David Mark Campaign Organisation, Chief Adakole Elijah, the thugs which ambushed the train at the outskirts of Igumale forced the convoy of Senator Mark to detour to Okpoeja, the headquarters of Okpowu Local Government Area.

Senator Mark who directed the campaign train to divert to Okpoga, said, “the lives of every member of my campaign is important to me. I do not want to lose any of you to the assault of the minority opposition.

“We would return to Ado Local Government Area on a later day when the opposition would have reasoned that elections are not won by violence. I have ordered the policemen on this entourage not to fire a shot because I have a responsibility to protect the lives of every indigene of Benue South and Benue state as well as Nigerians in general.

“I will not win this election at the expense of any of your lives,” Senator Mark told the large crowd accompanying him on the campaign.

The armed thugs, who were firing gunshots, were advancing towards the campaign train of Senator Mark when the President of the Senate ordered his vehicles to stop.

He said violence of any kind is abhorred and urged security operatives to fish out perpetrators of the crisis before the April polls.

He cautioned that violence cannot be a way out of life because it has the tendency of derailing the democratic process.