Olusegun Adeosun
Armed hoodlums have burnt all electoral materials for Mbalom ward in Gwer East Local Government Area of Benue State.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Saturday, March 9, as voters in the state prepare for the gubernatorial and state house of assembly elections.
The hoodlums on arrival, reportedly fired shots in the air before setting on fire the RCM Primary School Aya, housing the materials.
Mrs Ngunan Yongo, the Electoral Officer for the local government area, confirmed the incident. She said the materials were yet to be distributed to polling units in the ward when the attack occurred. ” The entire materials are burnt,” she lamented. She explained that final decision over the conduct of the elections in the area would be communicated later.
However, no official of the commission including ad hoc staff were hurt.
Mr Thaddeus Ujah, a senior staff of the commission, also confirmed the attack. “Right now I can’t say anything, I am overwhelmed; we were not expecting anything of that nature. I am short of words. I can’t see some of my people, they ran into the bush, some of them got injured. For me, the most important thing to me now is to get those people and take them back”.
Ujah said he was posted newly in the area and could not ascertain the exact number of ad hoc staff that were missing until he takes a roll call.
As at press time, it is not clear how the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC will respond to the development.
