Hoodlums snatch voter cards, register in Nasarawa

The Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Nasarawa State, Alhaji Ahmed Makama, on Sunday said that some hoodlums attacked the ad hoc staff at Agyaragu village in the state and snatched a ballot box containing Permanent Voter Cards and register.
Makama told the News Agency of Nigeria that the hoodlums were so inpatient to wait for the INEC staff to collect their cards and forcefully collected the materials from them.
According to him: “We encountered ballot box snatching in Agyaragu ward where some hoodlums were so inpatient, they at a point said that they were the ones that will be distributing the PVCs.
“They didn’t know our process, so they snatched cards and were arrested.”
Makama said that those arrested had been handed over to the police for further investigation and prosecution if found guilty.
He said that his staff was faced with another challenge in Bagaji Primary School Unit in Karu Local Government Ares of the state where the people prevented the staff from leaving the unit with the cards.
He said the cards had to be deposited in chief’s palace.
He said: “Surprisingly, the chief supported them.
“You cannot imagine somebody managing or in charge of people doing this.
“The villagers said our ah hoc staff will not leave their unit with the rest PVCs, saying they will have to keep them with their traditional chief.”
Makama, however, said for peace to reign, he directed that they leave the cards with the chief and later informed the police.
He said the police went to the palace and took custody of the PVCs for that unit, adding that those people will also be charged to court.
The REC also commended on the peaceful, orderly and smooth conduct of the collection of PVCs in the state, saying that there would be no extension of time.
He said: “Certainly we will not canvass for any additional time because the cards are going to be deposited at all the 13 local government areas of the state and anyone who has not collected within this period is free to go to his or her headquarters for collection.”
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Ugochukwu Theodore, said some boys attempted to snatch the PVCs and INEC materials from Sabon Kwarra unit in Agyaragu, headquarters of Jinkwe Development Area but policemen arrested two of them.
“Also at Tsowon Kasuwa, in Karshi area, our men arrested two persons who also attempted to snatch PVCs from the area and the four of them had been transferred to state CIB for further investigation and would soon be charged to court,” Theodore said.