By Noah Ocheni, Lokoja.
In response to social media reports of alleged ballot box snatching, fake result sheets, and killings during the Kogi Governorship Election on Saturday, both the Nigeria Police, the coordinating force for security agencies, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) have denied such incidents.
The Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Ahmed Habu Sanni, who leads the security agencies overseeing the election in Lokoja, stated that the Interagency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICES) had not received any reports of ballot box snatching, fake result sheets, or killings. He specifically addressed social media reports concerning Anyigba and Ganaja Primary School Polling unit in Lokoja, stating that there was no evidence of such incidents based on the available information.
“We know that it has the largest concentration of voters here, and we have not left any stone unturned to ensure that the place is really fortified well,” DIG Sanni said. He emphasized that security and INEC officials had anticipated possible violence and took measures to fortify the area.
The DIG assured the electorate that the process was secure, urging confidence in the electoral process. He emphasized that under any circumstance, the results would be accurately counted, entered appropriately, and escorted to the final collation center for the state.
Regarding reports of killings in some local governments, DIG Sanni stated, “I’m telling you as far as the process is concerned, I’ve not heard any killing that has taken place in any place.”
Dr. Hale Gabriel Longpet, the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, also commented on the preliminary reports, stating that people had been accredited, and the process was proceeding as planned.
