Chaos erupted at Elekahia Primary School in the Port Harcourt City Local Government Area on Saturday when heavily armed police officers stormed the venue, forcing officials of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) and voters to flee.
Around 21 Hilux patrol vans filled with armed officers arrived at the school, which hosts 10 polling units. The RSIEC officials, who had set up for the election, were forcibly removed from the area.
One officer was overheard commanding an official, saying, "Come here, remove that vest. What are you doing here? Move!" The police, some masked, also ordered the officials to remove and hand over their vests.
The situation intensified when officers fired teargas canisters directly into the crowd, causing panic as voters scrambled to escape. Additional rounds of teargas were fired at bystanders and residents near the polling station, further escalating the chaos.
Many RSIEC officials, voters, and residents fled into nearby Boms Street, creating confusion and tension in the Elekahia community. The police patrol vans quickly left the area with numerous election materials.
When contacted, Grace Iringe-Koko, the spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, said she was unaware of the incident. "I’m not aware. You are just telling me now," she stated.
The disruption follows an order from the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, instructing officers not to provide security during the election due to a court ruling. On the eve of the election, Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara had accused the IGP of acting under the influence of politicians in Abuja and vowed to hold him accountable for any breakdown of law and order.
The IGP, however, denied the allegations in a statement released by the Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi.
