The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on Saturday expressed concern over the abduction of some of its adhoc staff in Imo State.
Prof. Francis Ezeonu, INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in the State, disclosed this while briefing newsmen on Saturday.
Ezeonu said unknown gunmen abducted some of the Commission’s adhoc staff who were deployed to Ngor-Okpala Local Government Area of Imo for the State’s House of Assembly bye-election
Calling on security agents to ensure the staff’s safe return, he also alleged that the abductees were being forced to thumbprint ballot papers and manipulate the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).
He also confirmed that there were incidences of violence and disruption of the exercise in some polling units.
“We have received SOS from some of our adhoc staff who were abducted, blindfolded and conveyed to unknown destinations.
“They are being compelled to thumbprint the ballot papers and our situation room has received several phone calls alluding to the same,” he said.
He reassured the general public that results manufactured from unknown places will not be collated, noting that any person involved in such act of falsification was chasing the wind.
The REC appealed to law enforcement agencies to tighten security to ensure a hitch-free collation of results.
