By Christopher Oji
Pockets of violence have rocked some parts of Lagos, especially the Igegu area where many people have been injured, electoral materials destroyed while others were stolen.
There was tension at virtually all the Polling units as thugs took over the entire area.
The thugs were looking for Ndigbo and labour supporters. The area is dominated with fear as voters were seen running helter-skelter .
The worst hit was the White sand area of Ijegun where people were beaten and ballot papers destroyed.
A victim, Yusuf Olanrewaju told how he was stabbed with bottle on his head. According to him, “My polling unit is at Ijegun primary school, some thugs came and were disrupting the process of the election, even when counting has not begun, I went forward trying to stop them when about three vehicles drove and Hon. Oseni Olajide Hammed, a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) held me and called the thug to use bottle on me.
Another victim, Cynthia also said that there was no election in Lagos state but war. According to her, “the thugs came to our polling unit when the counting had just begun and Labour Party was in the lead. I don’t t who gave them the information and they stormed the place asking why labour should be leading.
“Some men trooped in and told the electoral officers to stop counting and close the voting box, but some of us refused and bottle was splashed by the thugs”
At Ijegomo area of Ijegun, behind Wale Ola filling ballot boxes were snatched while the Policemen watched helplessly.
At Unit 238, ballot papers which have Labour party candidate Gbgadebo Vivor Rhodes were destroyed .
At Ijegun Primary school, people were beaten silly while many others were seen jumping the fence .
However, at Jakande Estate, thugs numbering over 50 stormed some polling units and sacked INEC staff and Electorates.
The armed thugs were shooting and throwing broken bottles and stones on the INEC officials and electorates.
A Police Officer who spoke on the condition of anonymity as he was not supposed to speak to the press said the police were helpless watching because they were not armed.