The Local Government election processes were going on smoothly until some men dressed in Nigerian Police uniforms arrived at the Elekahia Primary School in Port Harcourt City local government area and started shooting teargas and seizing election materials.

The Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) officers and voters scampered for safety following the sad development.

The Guardian gathered that about 21 Hilux patrol vans with heavily armed operatives drove into the venue from Elekahia Road, and as soon as they arrived, they fired teargas, which caused pandemonium in the areas.

Some of the armed security men were masked; they directed the RSIEC officials to remove their vests and hand them over.

According to eyewitnesses, the security operatives also chased RSIEC officers who had arrived earlier and set up their stands to begin accreditation in Ward 19, which has ten units.

Some of the operatives were seen shouting to the RSIEC officials scampering for safety: “Come here, remove that vest. What are you doing here? Common move!”

The eyewitness, who simply gave his name as Friday, said, “We were all here and suddenly saw men in police uniforms drive in and immediately shot teargas at the people. Some of the policemen fired teargas at residents at the entrance of I’ve Street in Elekahia as residents and those who came out to cast their votes ran away.”

“RSIEC officials, voters, and residents of the community fled for their lives; the situation created tension in the area.”

While this was going on, The Guardian learned that the suspected police officers took the electoral materials and fled.

Also, around the GRA axis in Obio-Akpor Local Government Area, The Guardian learned that residents who came out to vote were arrested by security operatives in police uniforms and taken to an unknown destination while political thugs walked freely on the streets.

The spokesperson of the State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, said she was not aware of the incident.