Hijacking of ballot boxes, kidnapping mar Ondo bye election

| Print | E-mail

Written by Ynka Oladoyinbo, Akure Sunday, 01 August 2010

THE rerun election into Ilaje Constituency II seat in the Ondo State House of Assembly on Saturday, witnessed series of irregularities, including hijacking of ballot boxes and alleged kidnapping of officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Besides, voters in many towns including Ilu Meje, Igbo-Egunrin, Igbobi, Imoluwa, Gbolomi, Ite-Bukunmi could not participate in the election as 32 officials of INEC and security operatives were allegedly attacked by gunmen at Ilu-Meje, a border town between Ondo and Ogun states.

The vehicles conveying the INEC staff, security personnel and members of the National Youth Service Corps that were deployed for the exercise were said to have been attacked by yet to be identified gunmen.

One of the vehicles, a Hilux, had its windscreens broken, while gunmen were also said to be shooting from their hideout in the nearby bush.

One of the INEC officials that was attacked, Chinedu Oham, said some militants barricaded the road at Ilu-Meje and shot at the four vehicles conveying them to the towns where they were to work.

He said all occupants of the vehicles, including the security operatives had to jump outside the buses and ran for dear lives when the incident happened around 9.30am, adding that the hoodlums in the process entered into the buses and took away two ballot boxes before the security personnel in their convoy encouraged the drivers to drive the vehicles back to the INEC office at Igbokoda.

Addressing journalists on the development, the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the state command, Mr. Henry Fadairo, confirmed it but added that the people had refused to return to the area having been assured of full security and logistics support.

He said, “I sympathized with them and pleaded to them to return because we are ready to mobilize full security support for them but they are afraid and I have asked them to report the case to the superior officers in Akure.”

32 INEC officials, corps members escape death
National News Aug 1, 2010
Share |

By DAYO JOHNSON, Akure

No fewer than 32 officials of the Independent Electoral Commission INEC, National Youth Corps members, and policemen yesterday narrowly escaped death after thugs shot at the buses conveying them to Mahintedo for the by-election in Ilaje Constutuency11, Ondo State .

The election was scheduled for 167 units (six wards) in Ilaje Constituency 11.

However, two INEC officials were feared kidnapped while the rifle of a mobile policeman was seized during the election at Ibila, Mahin ward 1. The Police Commissioner Mogaji Nasarawa who relocated to Igbokoda denied the reports.

The voting materials earmarked for Mahintedo were returned to the Igbokoda Police station at about 10 a.m. yesterday.

The INEC Presiding Officer Chinadu Oham said the thugs barricaded the road and shot severally at their buses at Ilumeje on their way to Mahin ward 6. The attackers allegedly hid while the shooting lasted.

He said all occupants of the buses including the policemen had to jump out of the buses and fled in different directions when the shooting was unbearable.

Ondo re-run: Two INEC officials kidnapped

By Yemi Akintomide Correspondent, Akure



Two officials the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on duty in Ondo State were reportedly kidnapped on Saturday while sailing from Ayetoro to other polling centres, and their whereabouts unknown at the time of filing this report.

Violence had broken mid-way into voting on Saturday, as INEC was conducting election in Ilaje State Constituency II of Ondo State House of Assembly where the seat was declared vacant after the Court of Appeal, Benin-City, removed former occupier, Otito Atikase of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on the grounds of electoral malpractices.

The state Commissioner of Police, Bala Magaji Nasarawa, who later led a team of anti-riot policemen to Igbokoda about 12.40 p.m., said his men “are on ground to tackle any violence arising from the election”, urging voters to go out and cast their votes without intimidation or molestation.

Kunle Odidi of the Labour Party (LP) had filed a suit in 2007 against the declaration of Atikase as the elected representative. The success of his petition resulted in Saturday’s re-run.

But the election, which started on a peaceful note about 10.30 a.m. on election day at Igbokoda, headquarters of Ilaje Council Area, one of the six wards that made up the Constituency, turned violent when four buses convening 32 INEC officials on election duty to riverine communities of Mahin Ward 4 were shot at by unknown gunmen and prevented polling materials from getting to Igbo-Egunrin and adjoining polling centres.

Deputy Commissioner of Police, Henry Fadairo, who briefed newsmen on the election process at the Igbokoda Division Police station, said the action distorted polling activities in 28 polling units in Mahin Ward 4.

The attack carried out by the yet-to-be known hoodlums also prevented voting in Ilemeje where about 20,000 votes are at stake.

Men suspected to be political thugs waylaid materials going into Ayede Ogun State end of the riverine area, thereby preventing materials from getting to the polling centres in Ilemeje, Igbobi, Mahintedo, Gbegunrin and Atijere.

At Kelema in Mahin Ward 3 Unit 16, a mild drama played out while some PDP members, including the candidate in the election, Atikase, and former chairman of the council complained to reporters that the polling centre in the area was shifted from the original point to another location just about 100 metres down the street.

The action created a scene as PDP loyalists in the area said they suspected foul play and alerted DCP Fadairo who pleaded with them to vote in the new location since election was going on peacefully there.

“We met people lining-up to vote down there, peacefully, and the INEC officials confirmed to us that the primary school was the polling centre. So my appeal is that you people should join them there and cast your votes peaceful,” he added.

However, voting in locations such as College Road, Larada, Ago Duron, Okunnuwa among others in Igbokoda Township were relatively peaceful and the turn-out of voters impressive.

While voting proceeded smoothly around the court area in Igbokoda, the story around Holy Trinity almost went sour as some politicians attempted, though unsuccessfully, to snatch ballot materials.

A member of House of Representatives in the area was reported to have physically led some heavily armed men to waylay INEC officials moving materials to Igbo-Egunrin for polls.

What were they doing in Abia state?

Re-run elections, and we are already witnessing this?

Na wa o!

Funny. The joke being that Ondo State has somehow become like Abia State, eh? My black-heart laughs.

Aloy-Emeka is a dunce. What does this have to do with Abia? Next you'll say they had to from Abia state. Odeshi! Let's focus on the topic and don't try to turn this into Yoruba vs Igbo.