Four police personnel on elections duty died on Saturday after their boat drowned in Bayelsa State as tragedy marred the senatorial bye-elections in the state.
The boat conveying the victims and other officers capsized on its way to Oporoma, headquarters of Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, for the Bayelsa Central bye-election.
The cause of the Bayelsa boat mishap could not be immediately ascertained and the number of policemen on board could not be confirmed at press time.
A pall of sorrow descended on the headquarters of the police command as news of the accident reached there.
Spokesman for the State Police Command, SP Asinim Butswat, confirmed the accident but said other details were not available.
“The command is monitoring the incident,” he said.
He added: “From the information we gathered, there was a boat mishap and some of our policemen are declared missing and some have been rescued.
“But let me say that it was not an attack. It was a boat mishap.
“We cannot say that someone is dead, because it will be too hasty to say so. Some may have swum to safety.
“It is when it is confirmed by medical personnel that we can say they are dead. For now, they are missing.”
There were also reports of heavy shooting in Ekeremor, Southern Ijaw, Sagbama and Yenagoa as well as snatching of ballot boxes in some places.
The State Resident Electoral Commissioner Cyril Omoregbe said: “We are not looking for 100 per cent perfection in the election.
“Once we are able to get up to 85 per cent, we are satisfied.
“Despite our earlier warnings, most electorate did not comply with the COVID-19 directives. Our concern really is for free, fair and credible election, not on the enforcement of COVID-19 directives.
“Our earlier directive that no votes without facemasks were not complied with.”
