No fewer than 300 suspected hoodlums attacked some officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Oyo State, on Sunday in Ogbomoso, taking them hostage and demanding to see result sheets before they would release them.Our correspondent learnt that the INEC officials, who were the collation and electoral officers attached to Surulere Local Government Area, were held hostage by the gun-wielding thugs for more than 30 minutes.
The hoodlums, who reportedly had other weapons like cutlasses, clubs, machetes and charms, ambushed the INEC convoy in front of the Ogbomoso South Local Government secretariat, demanding to see the result sheets and other sensitive details of the conducted polls.
It was gathered that the thugs, who were said to be working for a political party, however, released the two officials, after they had shown them the local government result sheets.
Narrating their ordeal at the INEC secretariat on Sunday afternoon, the victimised collation officer, Dr Muyiwa Akinade, said the policemen accompanying them became helpless as the thugs outnumbered the security officials and also carried dangerous weapons.
He said, “We had to show them the election results before they let us go. We were held hostage for about 30 minutes. We were already on our way to the secretariat when we were ambushed in Ogbomoso town.
“Apart from their weapons, they were about 500 and some of them were smoking heavily. The policemen with us could not help as the hoodlums outnumbered them. After they were satisfied with the result sheets, they let us go. It was horrible. Our lives were at stake.”
In the result sheets read out by the INEC workers, the Labour Party pulled the most votes with 9,675, while the ruling All Progressives Congress came second with 5, 284.
Violence was also recorded in the Saki West Local Government Area of the state which led to the cancellation of election in two polling units. The units were Unit 10, Ward 6 and Unit 7, Ward 7.
Our correspondent learnt that hoodlums invaded the units and unleashed mayhem during which the voting exercise was disrupted.
Policemen from the Saki Police Division were said to have arrived the scene and arrested the rampaging thugs. A police source added that the suspects are now in custody.
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