Officials of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) and voters were forced to flee for safety on Saturday when a group of heavily armed police officers stormed Elekahia Primary School in Port Harcourt City Local Government Area during the council elections.
The officers, arriving in about 21 Hilux patrol vans, disrupted the electoral process at the school, which had 10 polling units. Eyewitnesses reported that the police, some masked, aggressively confronted RSIEC officials. One officer was heard instructing an official to remove their vest, demanding, "What are you doing here? Common move!"
In a bid to disperse the crowd, the police fired teargas directly at the officials and voters, causing widespread panic. Bystanders at the entrance of the street and residents, who had come out to vote, were also targeted. Many fled into nearby Boms Street in a chaotic scramble, as several police patrol vans sped away from the scene, reportedly taking election materials with them.
Grace Iringe-Koko, spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, claimed to be unaware of the incident, saying, "I’m not aware. You are just telling me now."
This disruption followed orders from the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, who instructed officers not to provide security for the elections, citing a court ruling. Governor Siminalayi Fubara had previously accused the IGP of taking directives from politicians in Abuja and warned that he would hold the police chief accountable for any breach of peace in the state.
The IGP, however, denied these allegations in a statement issued by the Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi.
This incident raises concerns over the neutrality of security forces during the elections and casts a shadow on the integrity of the electoral process in Rivers State.
