The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has expressed concern over the abduction of some of its adhoc members of staff in Imo.

The INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Francis Ezeonu, while briefing journalists in Owerri on Saturday, called on security agents to rescue its staff.He said the adhoc staff were deployed to Ngor-Okpala LGA for the state’s House of Assembly by-election where they were abducted by unknown gunmen.

Mr Ezeonu said he had received distress calls from some of the members of staff who were being forced to thumbprint the ballot papers and manipulate the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System,while being detained by their abductees.

He said that while polls had closed in the constituency election across the LGA, there were incidences of violence and disruption of the exercise in some polling units.

He said rescue operations were ongoing and appealed to security agents to ensure safe release of those still in captivity.

“We have received SOS from some of our adhoc staff who were abducted, blindfolded and conveyed to unknown destinations.

“They are being compelled to thumbprint the ballot papers and our situation room has received several phone calls alluding to the same.

“We wish to reassure the general public that results manufactured from unknown places will not be collated and the number of votes cast must tally with the number of accredited voters as shown by the BVAS for such results to be authenticated.

“Therefore, any persons involved in such act of falsification are chasing the wind,” he said.
Mr Ezeonu appealed to law enforcement agencies to tighten security to ensure hitch-free collation of results.
(NAN)