JUST IN: Crisis Averted as Thugs Storm INEC Office in Lokoja

Violence and bloodshed have been averted by security agencies as thugs and violent supporters of a political party in Kogi State stormed the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Wednesday morning in Lokoja.

Members of political parties in the state had gathered at the INEC headquarters to inspect the election materials as directed by the Election Petition Tribunal in Lokoja, the state capital.

The event, however, turned violent when some party supporters mobilised to hijack the process by chanting war songs and threatening to burn down the INEC office and make the state ungovernable.

The boys who were evidently acting on the effect of hard drugs were shouting that they can’t allow the electoral umpire to move the election materials to the tribunal because they have been compromised by the ruling All Progressives Congress.

It took the effort of security agencies, including men of the Nigeria Police Force, to curb the situation.

LEADERSHIP, however, gathered that the boys had earlier blocked the Post Office and Marine Road end of the entrance to the INEC office before armed security operatives came to open up the entrances.