A senior police officer (names withheld) has been accused of snatching four ballot boxes and papers at the Mungoro central polling unit of the Majin ward in Niger State.
The officer, who is also the Divisional Police Officer attached to Magama Local Government area of Niger State reportedly tear-gassed officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC and voters who were on a queue to cast their votes, Daily Post reports.
According to an eyewitness, Mr. Ibrahim Rege, voters had been accredited peacefully and voting had started when the DPO stormed the polling unit.
“The entire voting process was on course peacefully. Accreditation was peacefully carried out and voters were orderly on the queue to cast their vote when the DPO stormed the polling unit, tear-gassed both INEC officials and the people before carting away the ballot boxes together with the thumb-printed and virgin ballot papers,” Rege said.
He added that prior to the incident, the people in the area had the DPO to the Area Commander, accusing him of personally destroying posters and billboards of APC candidates.
The embattled deputy governor of the state, Ahmed Ibeto, expressed concern at the behavior of the senior police officer, which according to him was less than professional.
When contacted on phone, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Emmanuel Amore, denied the allegation.
According to him, the DPO merely helped to rescue INEC officials at the polling unit and the voting materials from hoodlums.
“They are only making allegations because they were not allowed to carry out their nefarious activity.
“Go and ask INEC if any of their material is missing. My DPO only helped to protect the INEC officials and materials,” he said.
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