2023 Election: Hoodlums attack collation centre in Cross River, destroy electoral materials and beat up officers
Hoodlums invaded the Independent National Electoral Commission collation centre for the Ogoja Constituency in Cross River and destroyed election materials.
The hoodlums, who stormed the centre on Sunday, March 19, 2023, also carted away phones, beat up many ward collation officers and disrupted the collation of results.
According to the PUNCH, trouble started when results from Nkum Irede were announced and some party agents did not accept the figures.
It was also gathered that the Nkum Irede Ward result was the seventh out of the 10 wards in Ogoja Local Government Area and the Peoples Democratic Party was clearly leading.
The Collation officer for Mbube East 1, Dr Paul Bassey Inyang, who was attacked said the hoodlums were over 30 in number, adding that his laptop and duplicate result sheets were all destroyed.
“One of my colleagues is still being treated in the theatre and I pray he comes out alive as heavy stones and planks were used on him,” Dr Inyang said.
The Electoral Officer for Ogoja Local Government Area, Mr Peter Kolo, said the hoodlums broke all security barriers to disrupt collation and destroy election results.
“As I talk to you we have recovered all the results from both the BVAS and uploaded results in the portal and we will soon resume announcing results from the three remaining wards,” he said.
The Ogoja Constituency Collation Officer, Dr Timothy Ellah, said he was beaten by thugs who carted away some result sheets, adding that he sustained minor injuries.
“We have however recovered all the results and we are ready to resume announcing the results,” he said.
The governorship Collation Officer for Ogoja Local Government, Prof. John Undie, said they are lucky to have survived the attack, adding that everybody inside the hall was beaten.
He, however, commended the police for deploying more officers to ward off the invaders.
The spokesperson of the State Police Command, Irene Ugbo, who confirmed the attack, adding that the suspected thugs have been arrested.
