No fewer that 25 ballot boxes were reported to have been snatched away from Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials by political thugs in the presidential/senatorial elections in Niger State.
Daily Champion reliably gathered that the thugs perpetrated the act in Niger East (Zone B) senatorial districts in view of the stiff opposition mounted by ANPP in the zone since the gubernatorial/house of assembly elections conducted a week ago.
An eyewitness informed that in all the area where the thugs unleashed their terror on armless INEC officials, were armed with dangerous weapons such as cutlasses, knives and sticks and send away the INEC officials at the various polling booths where the incidence occurred.
In Minna, the thugs numbering about 10 stormed polling units in Kofar, Lasisi and Makera I, II and III wards and made away with about 15 ballot boxes to their various residents.
However, the police quickly mobilized themselves and traced them to their various residents and recovered all the boxes which were taken to the office of the Area Commander of police in charge of Minna district.
In an interview the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Alhaji Sulaiman Hassan expressed shock over the incidence which he said that the commission was taken unawares by the hoodlums.
He said the situation has been arrested through the intervention of police, soldiers and other security agents adding that “the commission has replaced the ballot boxes and ballot papers so as to ensure that the exercise was conducted within the stipulated period.
Confirming the incidence, the commissioner of police, Mr. Haruna John described the incidence as unfortunate, stressing that those involved would be arrested and prosecuted.
He said, the leader of the thuggery syndicate, and his gangs were arrested with knives, cutlasses and sticks as well as ballot boxes snatched from the polling centres.
According to him, the gang leader had confessed to the police that the act was masterminded by a local government chairman, with the aim to rig the election in the area.
The commissioner then stated that the local government chairman has been declared wanted as efforts to arrest him proved abortive, adding that, “the police are fully alert and ready to subdue any act of thuggery in the state”.