Hoodlums shoot, snatch ballot boxes

Several cases of election violence were recorded in Ebonyi State on Saturday, as hoodlums shot and snatched ballot boxes in some polling booths across state.

At the polling booth in Nwakpu Market Square, Ikwo Local Government Area, an unidentified man emerged from the bush and shot several times into the air. While the voters, police officers and ad-hoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission fled to safety, our correspondent who watched from a distance saw the suspect and three other men, lift the ballot boxes and other election materials.

Nwankpu Market Square is about 400 metres from Governor Martin Elechi’s house.

The police, however, arrived about 20 minutes after the incident, and embarked on a search for the culprits.

A voter within the area, Sylvester Omaka, said, “Before now, we heard there would be shooting but we saw it as a mere threat, considering that we were assured of maximum security.”

It was a similar case at Nsukara town in Ezza South Local Government Area, as about seven men stormed one of the polling booths and shot at the voters before taking away some of the election materials. The Sunday PUNCH learnt that no one was killed.

A member representing Ezza South and Ikwo Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Tobias Okwuru, confirmed the shooting incident in Nsukara to our correspondent.

He said, “Yes, there have been shooting and snatching of election materials at Nsukara and other places, but it has been peaceful at my polling booth, here in Ngamgbo-Nwelle.”

In another development, a young man, Nathaniel Otozi, was arrested by soldiers after he was seen with fake result sheets.

Otozi was arrested at Umuogudu Oshia in Ohaukwu Local Government Area, where the immediate governor of the state, Dr. Sam Egwu, hails from.

Meanwhile, in an interview with our correspondent, Governor Elechi said there had been “too many cases of electoral irregularities and violence in the state.”

He said, “The reports have been coming to me, but there was no such incident in my area. If what we hear of other places is true, then we have a lot of challenges on our part.

“What is happening with regards to the election in Ebonyi State should not be taken in isolation.”