Chaos erupted at Elekahia Primary School in Port Harcourt City Local Government Area on Saturday when armed men dressed in police uniforms stormed the venue, disrupting the local government elections. The heavily armed operatives, arriving in about 21 Hilux Patrol Vans, fired tear gas, sending voters and officials of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) fleeing for safety.
The attackers targeted Ward 19, which has 10 polling units, chasing away RSIEC officials who had just begun the accreditation process. According to eyewitnesses, one of the masked men harassed an RSIEC staff member, demanding, “Come here, remove that vest. What are you doing here?” The officials were then forced to remove their vests and hand them over to the attackers.
The armed men confiscated all the election materials present and fired tear gas canisters into the crowd, further escalating the panic. Many voters and officials, along with local residents, fled in different directions, seeking safety in nearby streets, including Ibe and Boms Streets.
Despite the commotion, the attackers continued firing tear gas at bystanders, intensifying the tension in the area. Multiple police patrol vans were seen speeding away from the scene with the seized election materials.
When contacted for comment, the spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, stated that she was unaware of the incident. “I’m not aware. You are just telling me now,” she said.
The disruption has raised concerns about the security and integrity of the ongoing local government election in Rivers State.
