Police, armed thugs collude, steal ballot boxes in Lokoja

An unhindered snatching of ballot boxes and
disruption of the electoral process has taken place
in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, with the active
connivance of armed police officers.
Although the action was not unexpected, residents
thought the disruption started too early in the
voting process.
Accreditation and voting started in most polling
units in the local government, at about 12 noon.
Some armed men in police uniforms and other
armed thugs began their operation at the Lokoja
Club, unit 16, Ward 1, which is a stone throw to the
government house.
Some senior security officials had visited the unit,
but as soon as they left, three vehicles carrying the
policemen and armed thugs drove in speedily and
disrupted the election. They cut the rope
demarcating the voting area from the rest of the
arena and carted away the ballot boxes. UN
observers who had earlier arrived at the scene
quickly drove off in their jeep.
Policemen and other security agents at the units
ran for their lives as the hoodlums made away with
the boxes and scattered the tables. No gunshot was
fired at the unit.
However, as soon as they drove to Crowther
Memorial College, Polling Unit 008 ward 01, they
started firing gunshots, sending voters and the
security men scampering for safety.
Some of them were seen scaling the fence of the
school to another school behind the unit.
After every raid, the hoodlums were seen driving
directly towards the government house and would
return firing into the air.
After the Crowther encounter, the gunmen drove
the Parparanda Unit 001, ward 12 and carted away
the boxes.
When Newsmen visited the PU, the place
was in a chaotic situation.
But an official of INEC told this reporter that the
card readers were safe and would form the basis of
his final report to the commission.
Gunshots continued in various parts of the city
where reports had it that the same hoodlums carted
away several ballot boxes ending the process of
election abruptly for many voters.
The development is completely at variance with the boast of the DIG
Operations, Abdulmajid Ali, that trouble makers and ballot box
snatches could lose their lives if they dare to cause trouble.
At Felele, PU 04, Oworo Ward in Lokoja, gunshots were reportedly
fired to scare voters, while APC thugs also intimidated opposition
supporters and scared them away from the unit.
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Mr Ali had promised to ensure that was security in the state for
electoral officers and materials as well as journalists and observers.
Commissioner of Police in Kogi State, Hakeem Busari, however
informed newsmen on the phone that the police had begun
investigations into the actions of the hoodlums and would certainly
get to the root of the matter.