‘Electoral body, security agencies conspired to scuttle Benue South peoples’ wish’

Deputy Governor of Benue State, Benson Abounu has said he suspects conspiracy between security agencies and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)’s ad-hoc staff to frustrate the wish of Otukpo people.

Abounu, who stated this in Otukpo, while speaking with newsmen, said unknown gunmen snatched election materials for Idabi Polling Unit in Okete Council Ward on Saturday.

This comes as former Senate President, David Mark, commended the turnout of voters for the exercise, but lamented pockets of electoral violence recorded at Otukpo-Icho and Otukpo local government areas of the state.

Mark, who spoke with journalists at his Otukpo residence, stated that he could not encourage electoral violence under any guise and urged security agencies to deal decisively with perpetrators of violence to serve as a deterrent to others.

Abounu explained that a tricycle, otherwise called Keke NAPEP, was conveying the materials to the polling unit when the hoodlums accosted it and took the materials to an unknown destination.

“The perpetrators are known names and the matter had been reported to the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Otukpo, but he did not act swiftly to arrest the situation,” he said.

“If not for God and my driver who was smart enough to whisk me away, I would been dead because my side glass and back wind shield were smashed by those huge stones,” he said.