50 killed in Nigeria's poll-related violence

Over 50 people are reported to have been killed in attacks and security violations during last weekend's presidential election in Nigeria, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has said.

In a statement, the NHRC said that by the end of Sunday, the number of people reported killed in these attacks and incidents was over 50.

Those killed "include one state legislator, a community leader and two ad-hoc election staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), who have allegedly been killed in an extremist attack in Gombe State, as well as an asset of the Nigerian armed forces in Rivers state".

"There were also reported cases of (people sustaining) injuries from politically-motivated violence in Edo, Ekiti, Imo, Lagos, and Kano states as well as allegations of snatching of ballot boxes, card readers and related election material in some states, like Akwa Ibom, Benue, Gombe, Imo, Niger, and Rivers," the NHRC said in the statement.

In another development, the Nigerian military said it has rescued and freed a large number of vulnerable women and elderly locked up by retreating Boko Haram terrorists in the liberated town of Gwoza in Borno state in the north of the country.

"A number of women, the elderly and children who were locked up by fleeing terrorists in Gwoza have been freed by troops as cordon-and-search along with mopping up operations continued in the town," Chris Olukolade, director of defence information, said.

The freed hostages, some of whom are very weak, are undergoing medical treatment while others are also receiving necessary care pending the arrival and activities of aid agencies.

(Francis Kokutse can be contacted at fkokutse@gmail.com)