Tension is currently building up in some part of Benue State, as all electoral materials meant for today’s Governorship and State House of Assembly elections were set ablaze by armed hoodlums, Igbere TV has learnt.
Igbere TV gathered that the incident occurred in Mbalom ward, Gwer East Local Government Area of the state in the early hours of Saturday (today).
Sources told Igbere TV that the hoodlums on arrival fired shots in the air before setting on fire the RCM Primary School Aya, housing the materials.
NAN reports that Mrs Ngunan Yongo, the Electoral Officer (EO) for the local government area, confirmed the incident in a telephone conversation.
The EO 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.
Igbere TV, however, gathered that no official of the commission including Ad-hoc staff were hurt.
She explained that final decision over the conduct of the elections in the area would be communicated later.
Mr Thaddeus Ujah, a senior staff of INEC, also confirmed the early morning attack.
“Presently 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 told newsmen.
He 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.
Stay with Igbere TV for more live updates in today’s polls.
