Saturday, October 5, 2024 -On Saturday, officials from the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission and voters fled for their lives as armed men in police uniforms stormed Elekahia Primary School in Port Harcourt City Local Government, firing teargas and confiscating election materials.
About 21 Hilux Patrol Vans with heavily armed men were
spotted driving into the venue from Elekahia Road and immediately fired several
tear gas.
RSIEC officials who had set up their stand to begin accreditation in Ward 19
which has 10 units scampered for safety as the operatives chased them out of
the entrance.
One of the armed men harassed an INEC
official saying, “Come here, remove that vest. What are you doing here?”
The armed men, some of whom were masked,
also asked the officials to remove their vests and hand them to them as they
ensured that they carted away all election materials and fired more teargas.
The armed men also shot tear gas canisters directly into
the crowd of people who were running for their lives.
One of the armed men fired another teargas at bystanders at the entrance of Ibe
Street in Elekahia, as residents and those who came out to cast their votes ran
helter-skelter.
Many of the RSIEC officials, voters and residents of the community ran into Ibe
and Boms Streets in the Elekahia community in a confused manner, thereby
creating tension in the area, as several police patrol vans sped out of the
area with many election materials.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the State Police Command, Grace
Iringe-Koko, said she was not aware of the incident.
“I’m not aware. You are just telling me now”, she stated tersely.
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