Hoodlums invade polling units in Katsina, Delta, Lagos

Thugs, yet-to-be-identified, attacked polling units in Delta, Katsina, and carted away Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), an electronic device designed to read Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and authenticate voters.

INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu confirmed the incidents during a press conference on Saturday afternoon.

He noted that political thugs now focus on stealing BVAS and not ballot boxes.

Yakubu confirmed that two BVAS were stolen at a local government area in Delta but were replaced by INEC.

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On the Katsina attack, he confirmed that six BVAS were stolen.

Yakubu said: “In Safana Local Government Area of Katsina State, thugs attacked a polling unit and snatched six BVAS machines.”

He, however, noted that three of the machines were recovered.

He added that INEC ensured that voting continued at the center by replacing the stolen machines.

Similarly, hoodlums have reportedly attacked a polling unit outside Oba Elegushi Palace at Ikate in Eti-Osa, Lekki, Lagos State.

The thugs, it was gathered, attacked the area during the ongoing election, chasing away the presiding officer of the Independent National Electoral Commission and carted away ballot boxes.

A resident in the area, who spoke on condition of anonymity said: “The information I’m getting is that the violence erupted outside the Oba’s palace.

“The ballot boxes were snatched and everybody ran away. Thugs are still hanging around the area.”