Bayelsa Bye-elections: Police officers drown in Southern Ijaw River

At least three personnel of the Nigeria Police Force have drowned Friday on their way to Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa.

The incident occurred on the eve of the Saturday Senatorial Bye-election holding in two senatorial zones of the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the deceased police officers were said to be on their way to their place of assignment when the boat capsized.

The spokesman of the Police Command in Bayelsa, Asinim Butswat, who confirmed the incident said the boat capsized on its way to Oporoma, Headquarters of Southern Ijaw Local Government Area.

He, however, added that they were yet to ascertain the total number of police officers involved in the incident.

Elections

Elections to fill vacant federal and state legislative seats in 11 states held Saturday.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had suspended the polls, earlier scheduled to hold in October, following the violence in many parts of the country, resulting from the #EndSARS protest against police brutality.

The senatorial bye-elections are in Bayelsa Central, Bayelsa West, Cross River North, Imo North, Lagos East and Plateau South senatorial districts.

Four of the six senatorial bye-elections are to fill legislative seats that became vacant due to the death of their former occupants from Cross River North, Imo North, Lagos East and Plateau south.

The remaining two senatorial bye-elections are to fill seats for Bayelsa Central and Bayelsa West, in which Douye Diri and Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, represented the districts before they were elected as governor and deputy governor of the state respectively.