On Thursday, there were comments on social media claiming
that thugs had attacked traders from the Alaba market during a voter
registration exercise in Ojo area of the state.
The traders were said to have shut their stalls to enable
those who had not registered for their PVCs to do so.
The move was said to have increased the number of
registrants on Thursday at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)
office, Igbede, Ojo.
Addressing the claims, Benjamin Hundeyin, Lagos police spokesperson, in a tweet on his official handle, said the situation had nothing to do with ethnicity, saying the people were “simply large in number”.
A witness disclosed that Alaba traders did not represent the
entire population present for the voter registration exercise on the day.
“I also came to change my name due to marriage,” she said,
adding that the issue had less to do with ethnicity and more to do with
breakdown of order.
“You know, when a fight breaks out, thugs can beat anybody
in their way. People should not spread fake news, nobody died but people were
injured.”
A group of security officers was said to have gone into the
INEC office “with someone that looked like a traditional ruler or an eminent
person in the society”, leaving the already-tensed crowd — queuing outside the
main gate of the INEC office — furious.
“They entered the office at a time when three people were
about to be called in for registration. When the wealthy man came out, a guy
tried removing his plate number but the wealthy man stopped him. I think
somebody slapped the wealthy man from the back,” she said.
According to her, a few minutes after the man left the
vicinity, thugs arrived on bikes, noting that there might be a connection
between both incidents.
“Because guys will be guys, instead of handling the issue
with patience, they rushed and were injured. In fact, somebody who jumped a
fence broke his leg and was rushed to the hospital,” she said.
According to her, nobody knew the tribe of the man who
confronted the wealthy man but the thugs were said to chant “you won’t register
Igbos” as they dispersed the crowd.
She, however, said there was a restoration of calm after the
police intervened and chased the thugs away.
Zubi Mmadueke, a middle-aged trader at the Alaba market,
corroborated her claim.
“We were waiting for them to start the registration but it
didn’t happen. A few moments later, a group of soldiers arrived in a convoy”.
Giving a slightly different account, Mmadueke said they
“packed the printer inside a Hilux vehicle and went away with it”.
“Not too long after, we saw many bikes – more than twenty
bikes – with thugs wielding sticks,” he said.
She, however, said there was a restoration of calm after the
police intervened and chased the thugs away.
Zubi Mmadueke, a middle-aged trader at the Alaba market,
corroborated her claim.
“We were waiting for them to start the registration but it
didn’t happen. A few moments later, a group of soldiers arrived in a convoy”.
Giving a slightly different account, Mmadueke said they
“packed the printer inside a Hilux vehicle and went away with it”.
“Not too long after, we saw many bikes – more than twenty
bikes – with thugs wielding sticks,” he said.
Speaking on the issue, Olusegun Agbaje, resident electoral
commissioner (REC), INEC, Lagos, confirmed the incident.
“I understand that there was some clash between thugs and
area boys but not within our premises. Our work went on smoothly yesterday and
even today, there was no problem in our office in Ojo local government,” he
said.
Reacting to claims by traders that there were only two
registration machines at the office, he said it was because others were
deployed to other parts of the local government.
“The machines were taken to other wards and that started
over a month ago,” Agbaje said.
“Additional machines have now been sent to Lagos state and
by next Tuesday, they are going to deploy them to all the local governments to
further support what they have now.”
According to him, INEC did not mandate the Alaba traders to
close their shops.
“It is unfair as they made it look as if INEC is not able to
cope. It is not true. There is no way anybody can cope with that large number
of people,” he said.
“What we are arranging now is that we are discussing with
the leadership of the market to let them know that maybe in batches now that we
are going to have more machines in the area.”
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