Political thugs, who disrupted polling unit during the Ekiti State by-election shot one of the corps members who served as ad hoc electoral officer during the polls which was held on Saturday.
The National Youth Service Corps confirmed this in a release to SaharaReporters, adding the said corps member has been hospitalised to ensure his recovery.
The NYSC added that other corps members participating in the by-election had been asked to go home.
It will be recalled that at least three people, including a female police officer, were killed on Saturday in the violence that ensued during the by-election, which was for Ekiti East Constituency 1 in the State House of Assembly.
The seat became vacant following the death of Juwa Adegbuyi in February. Adehbuyi represented the constituency.
It was gathered that political thugs unleashed mayhem on voters and security agents, with allegations that the All Progressives Congress sponsored the thugs, who unleashed violence on the electorate and officials.
The shootings happened three hours into the poll at Ward 7, Unit 7 of the Senator representing Ekiti South, Biodun Olujimi. The senator narrowly escaped as the political thugs went on a rampage in her polling units.
The Independent National Electoral Commission had subsequently suspended the Ekiti East constituency I by-election over an outbreak of violence in various polling units in the local government area.
The INEC resident electoral commissioner for Ekiti, Tella Adeniran, had disclosed the suspension of the election in a statement.
SaharaReporters was told that the hoodlums also shot a corps member.
The NYSC Director of Press and Public Relations, Mrs Adenike Adeyemi, who confirmed the shooting, said corps members are politically neutral and should be protected by parties at all times.
She said, “The NYSC management wishes to state that a corps member who was part of the ad hoc staff for the by-election in Ekiti State sustained gunshot wound from hoodlums who attacked the polling unit.
“The corps member is in a stable condition and responding to treatment, while others have all returned home safely. The management reiterates that corps members are apolitical and neutral, and must be protected by all and sundry.” (SaharaReporters)