According to the witnesses, the event was initially scheduled to hold at the village square before the suspected thugs invaded the venue, destroying chairs and other equipment, forcing organisers to relocate the ceremony to Nworie's residence.
Journalists covering the defection of a former All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ebonyi State narrowly escaped what eyewitnesses described as an attempt to burn them alive after suspected political thugs attacked their official vehicle during the event.
The incident occurred on Saturday at Idembia in Ezza South Local Government Area, where members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Correspondents' Chapel, had travelled to cover the formal defection of Barrister Ifeanyi Nworie from the APC to the PDP.
Eyewitnesses told SaharaReporters that more than 100 suspected political thugs allegedly led by an Abakaliki-based lawyer, Friday Agbom, stormed the venue, disrupted the programme, assaulted journalists and PDP supporters, and vandalised property belonging to the organisers.
According to the witnesses, the event was initially scheduled to hold at the village square before the suspected thugs invaded the venue, destroying chairs and other equipment, forcing organisers to relocate the ceremony to Nworie's residence.
