A lecturer with the Ken Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic and three others sustained gunshot injuries after soldiers and operatives of the Federal Special Anti- Robbery Squad (F-SARS) stormed an Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) collation centre in Bori in Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State, yesterday.

Also shot was Marvin Lezor Keawe-e, Raymond Ledogo and another person who were said to have been rushed to the hospital.

According to eyewitnesses, the joint security team also hijacked electoral materials after the shooting before zooming off in their security vans.

Soldiers and policemen deployed to the Rivers State headquarters of INEC in Port Harcourt clashed yesterday over the manning of the gate.

There has been heavy presence of security operatives at the INEC headquarters since the general elections commenced more than two weeks ago, with soldiers and policemen sometimes collaborating to prevent unwanted persons from entering the premises.

But as expectations heightened yesterday over the delay in the announcement of the governorship and House of Assembly elections result, a disagreement over the manning of the gate turned into pushing and shoving among the two security outfits.

In the very brief drama that ensued, the situation turned chaotic as soldiers and policemen that were within and outside the INEC premises moved to the gate to support their colleagues in the battle for domination.

Reacting to the attack, the chairman of the Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Felix Obuah, alleged that F-SARS commander in the state, Mr. Akin Fakorede, led the SARS team to the area and should be held responsible for the invasion.

Obuah said in a statement signed by Jerry Needam, his media coordinator, that: “While calling for the arrest and prosecution of Mr. Akin Fakorede, the PDP appeals to the Inspector General of Police, Chief of Army Staff as well as the General Officer Commanding (GOC) Six Division of the Nigerian Army to, as a matter of urgency, reprimand all police officers involved in the shooting incident and hijack of electoral materials.”

•Excerpted from a New Telegraph report

Update news