Not
less than 55 Corps members and staff of INEC deployed to serve as
presiding officers were held hostage for 24 hours in Assakio, Ashige and
Adogi in Lafia local government area on Saturday.
The corps
members who were rescued by security men and brought to the INEC
Headquarter in Lafia at about 4.00pm where collation of election result
was ongoing, said they were held hostage by the host communities because
the INEC’s returning officers were not found to collate and returned
election results from the communities.
The
spokes person Mr Adamu Anzalu said that the voters in the areas refused
to let them go because the returning and collation officers refused to
show up after the election was peacefully concluded.
Anzalu
stated further that they tried severally to put call across to the
returning officers but they refused to pick their calls.
The
host communities, who alleged foul play, insisted that if the returning
officer do not show up they would not released the presiding officers.
Not until security officers intervened and pleaded with them before they
were released but those from Adogi and Ashige left their electoral
materials including the election result with the communities.
The
REC Alh. Abdullahi Danyaya while addressing the rescued Corps members
said he will ensure that the materials in the custody of the communities
are returned to the commission. He also assured that he will not
council elections in the areas.
It must he noted that Assokio
and Ashige ward had their election counselled in the last election over
what the INEC boss termed election irregularities.
Credit: Abel Daniel/Vanguard
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