The 2019 general elections in Nigeria have in the last four months claimed at least 181 lives, says report. According to the report by Gatefield, leading up from October 10, 2018 to February 15, 2019, the 2019 elections have claimed 181 persons.
This data, the report says, could be increased by 11 or 66 depending on verification of the lives lost in Kajuru, Kaduna State on the eve of the now postponed Presidential and National Assembly elections.
“There’s a dispute to the nature of what happened and to the number of lives lost hence this data has been excluded,” the report states.
The report covers 21 states in Nigeria and focuses on campaign incidents, attack on electoral officers, assassination, attempted bombing and protests.
Of particular interest the report indicates, is that the violence that has characterised the elections has refused to abate. In the Southwest for instance, thugs have continued to attack the campaigns of opponents to disrupt their preparation towards the polls.
“The attack on villages in Kaduna underscore the fragility of the security situation in the state. The inability of security agencies to secure electoral materials was re-emphasised by an attack on an INEC truck conveying non-sensitive materials in Benue State,” the statement says.
Gatefield provides access to the report with the support of the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) and would respond to enquiries sent to impact@gatefield.co or through it’s social media.
