Tension erupted in Magama Ward, Nasko Local Government Area of Niger State, as angry residents set ablaze the office of the Niger State Independent Electoral Commission (NSIEC) over the alleged disappearance of official result sheets meant for the local government election.
Eyewitnesses told reporters that electoral officers arrived with ballot papers but failed to include result sheets, sparking outrage among residents who accused officials of attempting to manipulate the poll.
The protest soon turned violent, with the commission’s office engulfed in flames. Several sensitive materials were reportedly destroyed in the inferno, though the extent of the damage remains unclear.
Residents expressed anger over what they described as a deliberate attempt to compromise the integrity of the election, calling on the state electoral body to take immediate corrective measures.
Security operatives were later deployed to restore calm in the area. As of the time of filing this report, no arrests had been confirmed.
The incident occurred just hours before the November 1 local government elections in Niger State, which have been fraught with political tension and allegations of interference. Reports of intimidation, including the arrest of a student from Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University in Mokwa, have heightened public anxiety ahead of the polls.
