Officials of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission and voters, on Saturday, ran for their lives as armed men dressed in police uniform arrived at Elekahia Primary School in Port Harcourt City Local Government shooting teargas and seizing 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?”
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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.
Punch