• Voters, Police officer, Corps member injured
• INEC suspends exercise

The House of Assembly by-election for Ekiti East Constituency one in Ekiti State was on Saturday marred by violence as political thugs unleashed mayhem on voters and security agents.

The seat became vacant following the death of Juwa Adegbuyi in February who represented the constituency.

Three persons were killed by the political thugs allegedly sponsored by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) while about five persons are receiving treatment from a private hospital.

The shootings happened three hours into the poll at Ward 7, Unit 7 of the Senator representing Ekiti South, Biodun Olujimi. The senator only escaped by whiskers as the political thugs went on rampage in her polling units.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) this evening announced the suspension of the bye-election.

INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Tella Adeniran, in a statement in Ado-Ekiti, said the commission suspended the poll following the violence unleashed on voters and officials of the electoral body by political thugs.

Adeniran explained that the election was peaceful until arm-wielding hoodlums stormed two polling units of ward 009 unit 008 and 009 and started shooting sporadically.

This development, the state INEC boss, said led to the death of three voters while a police officer, Corps member and one of its staff sustained varying degrees of injuries.

•Based on reports by Nigerian Tribune and The Nation.