Ad-hoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and waiting voters fled on Saturday morning when gunmen stormed the Roman Catholic Missionary Primary School in Mbalon Council Ward of Gwer East Local Government Council, Benue state shortly after 8 am on Saturday.
No one suffered bodily harm from the hoodlums but some were slightly injured while fleeing.
The armed hoodlums said to be numbering about 20 arrived, firing shots in the air and subsequently proceeded to burn down all election materials. Although the INEC Electoral Officer for Gwer East, Mrs Ngunan Yongo, confirmed the incident, she declined to give further details as she switched off her phone.
She said that the materials affected were meant for polling units on Mbalon ward.
A senior staff of INEC, Mr Thaddeus Ujah also confirmed the attack at Mbalon ward.
“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.
“The most important thing to me now is to get those people and take them back”, he said.
Sanwo-Olu wins Osinbajo’s polling unit
The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Mr Babajide Sanwo- Olu, emerged victorious at Vice President Yemi Osinbajo ’s polling unit in Victoria Garden City, Lekki.
The APC scored 223 votes as against the 175 votes polled by the Peoples Democratic Party ’s Jimi Agbaje . The counting of the votes was concluded around 4 : 20 p. m .
The ruling party lost to the PDP by a wide margin during the presidential election last month.
