There was pandemonium in Taraba State as two factions of All Progressive Congress (APC) clashed.
One person was killed and many others injured during attack believed to be targeted at Senator Yusuf Abubakar Yusuf, in Bali Local Government Area of the State.
A witness, Bali Nabi, said the attack was not necessary, if not that it was prearranged to wipe out Senator Yusuf.
The State police public relations officer, ASP David Misal, said that the senator was addressing party loyalists in Bali when a mob attacked the venue and attempted to lynch him before the security agents on hand whisked him away. Misal said that in the ensuing confusion, one of the vigilance group members present at the event was shot dead.
“Yesterday, Senator Yusuf Yusuf was addressing party members in Bali when a mob stormed the area and, if it were not for the timely intervention of the security, he could have been lynched. Fortunately, our men were able to whisk him away to safety.
Unfortunately, in the course of this chaos, one of the vigilante personnel was hit by a stray bullet and he died instantly. We are working to find out who was behind the attack and, very soon, we would be able to give you more update.
“In the meantime, Commissioner of Police David Akinremi has warned political parties and politicians to be very careful in going about their activities so that they would not cause breakdown of law and order. The command cannot sit back and watch people take to lawlessness in the name of politics.
“The safety of every citizen of this state is of paramount concern to us and we would not sacrifice it on an altar or for any reason.
Let me also warn youths who are making themselves available for use as thugs to desist as the command would not hesitate to take decisive actions against anyone who violates the law,” Misal said.
Efforts to get Yusuf to react to the attack were in vain as he did not pick his call and did not reply to text message.
However, one of his aides, Alhaji Jameel, told our correspondent that the attack was believed to have been carried out by party members loyal to another faction in protest against the inauguration of Alhaji Ibrahim El-Sudi as the new state chairman of the party.
