A widow, Veronica Ejiofor, resident of Azare in Bauchi State, said on Friday that she watched “helplessly” as her husband of 19 years was being killed and his corpse burnt to ashes.
She was testifying at the public sitting of the post election violence committee, headed by its Chairman, Dr Ahmed Lemu.
Ejiofor narrated how on April 18, before the release of the result of the presidential election, her husbandordered her to vacate the children and relocate to the Azare Divisional Police Headquarters, when irate youths were chanting war songs.
She said that she immediately relocated to the police barracks in a car, while her husband, who was driving another car, ran into a group of irate youths.
She said her husband, who was driving toward the police barracks, made an attempt to escape, but the irate youths got hold of him, stabbed him to death, before burning his corpse to ashes.
“After killing my husband, who they nicknamed Dan-Azare, because he was born in the area, they put tyres on his neck and set him on fire,” she said. “My children and I became helpless.They later went to our house and set it ablaze in spite of the presence of policemen.
We took refuge at the police station. The policemen failed to quell the riot, while the youths set bonfire at the entrance of the station, with the policemen watching.”
The widow suggested that the security of the area should be taken over by mobile police officers and soldiers.
Several women that were present at the panel broke down into tears as the visibly traumatised widow recounted her story.
In May, Daily Times had reported about Mrs. Joy Anozie, who till date has yet to find her husband, who went missing during the post-election violence, also in Bauchi.
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