Voters chased away as armed ‘thugs’ attack Lagos polling units, destroy ballot boxes

Voting in parts of Lagos was disrupted on Saturday as “thugs” invaded polling units.

At two polling units in Igbokusu town II, Eti Osa area of the state, TheCable observed that ballot boxes were broken, while ballot papers were discarded.

Speaking on the incident, Adegbite Adefemi, a resident, said “some boys” invaded the polling unit, chased away voters, and broke the ballot boxes.

“Around 2pm, some boys came here, observed the processes, and went away. A few minutes later, they came back with clothes tied to their faces and started chasing people all around with machetes,” he said.

“They broke ballot boxes and scattered the already used ballot papers.”

Kingsley Onyechere, a police officer who confirmed the incident, said security operatives were deployed to the polling unit to curtail the event.

“We were called to the areas after the incident happened,” Onyechere added.

Thugs also attacked a polling unit around the Elegushi area in the state.

Reacting to the attacks, Adenike Oriowo, spokesperson of INEC in Lagos, said the commission will release a statement giving a detailed explanation on the development.

Meanwhile, several videos trending on social media showed attacks said to have been recorded in parts of the state.

At Aguda, Surulere, a video posted on Twitter showed a man telling people to go home if they are not voting for the All Progressives Congress (APC).

“If you no fit vote APC for here go your house. Nobody force you come here o. Go house o. If I see you vote another party, I will call Luka,” the man said in the video.

“If you vote for another party, you go enter wahala. We no come joke for here. This territory wey we dey for here na APC o.”

In another video, a man is seen warning persons of Igbo extraction not to vote at his location.

“I repeat am again. Any Igbo wey dem born very well, me I dey here, make hin con vote here,” he said.

Another video shared on Twitter claimed that voters were left stranded after some electoral materials were set ablaze by hoodlums in Mafoluku area of Oshodi.

Yet another footage showed persons described as voters at Ikate, Lekki, running on the streets after thugs reportedly disrupted voting in the area.

See photos of the situation in Eti-Osa below.