INEC, security agencies culpable in Rivers violence —Group

An election monitoring group, CLEEN, has declared that the Rivers State legislative rerun elctions, held last Saturday, were marred by irregularities, large scale violence, professional misconducts and open bias by security operatives and electoral personnel.

The report, released by CLEEN Foundation, a civil society organization, on Sunday, fingered the police, army and the SSS in multiple cases of violence and malpractices that allegedly characterised the exercise.

“The way and manner in which the election was conducted is a validation of the outcomes of the Security Threat Assessment report, and justifies the concerns of various stakeholders that the outcome of the election will not reflect the will of the people.”

“There were serious cases of electoral violence orchestrated by the Police, Army and DSS in Ward 3 Bodo community in Gokana and Khana Local Government Area. This led to the shooting to death of Mr Mbari John MeeBari.

“At Ward 12, Unit 5, Abonnema, Akuku Toru, Police shot sporadically to scarce away voters. At Sara 1, Sara 2 and Kalakama (Ward 12), Okirika LGA electoral materials were hijacked by the Army and officers of SARS at gunpoint,” CLEEN said.

The group blamed the killing of a police officer, Alkali Mohammed, a deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), and his orderly, on “unwarranted use of force and shooting, ” noting that Mohammed was beheaded in an ambush at Omoku, Ogba/Ndoni/Egbema LGA.

CLEEN lamented failure of the military and other security agencies to maintain neutrality towards the political parties.