One of the casualties of the Rivers State rerun election was a Nigerian police officer, Alkali Mohammed, was allegedly beheaded during Saturday’s rerun election in the state. The deceased was a member of the Mobile Police19 team in Port Harcourt and is the son of a retired police officer. The election was marred by raw violence in some areas with uniformed men some suspected to be thugs having a free run at the unarmed electorate, intimidating them and the electoral officers.

Ballot snatching and gun battles punctuated the election in which Magnus Abe of the APC  has been declared as winner in the South-East senatorial district. Other results are being disputed but Nyesom Wike, the Governor of the state has claimed victory for his party, the PDP.

Mr. Mohammed, a deputy superintendent of police, was killed during an ambush at Omoku, Onelga Local Government Area, one of the monitors of the election, CLEEN Foundation, said in its report of the election. He was killed alongiside his police aide, the Foundation  said in its report. CLEEN Foundation is a notable name among the Civil society groups in Nigeria .

“We call on the Inspector General of Police to investigate all cases of voter harassments and intimidation during the elections, especially the alleged shooting to death of Mr. Mbari John MeeBari,  killing of DSP Alkali Mohammed and his orderly who was beheaded during an ambush at Omoku, Onelga LGA,” CLEEN said in its report.

The military has denied any complicity in the violence claiming that its men were professional  during the exercise. The military’s denial came on the heels of allegations that it masterminded the violence in some parts of the state during the election.