Angry residents of Magama Ward in Nasko Local Government Area, Niger State, have set the office of the Niger State Independent Electoral Commission (NSIEC) on fire after discovering that official result sheets were missing from the election materials delivered for the upcoming local government polls.
According to eyewitnesses, electoral officials arrived with ballot papers but did not provide the official result sheets. This sparked outrage, as residents accused the officials of attempting to manipulate the election.
The protest quickly escalated, leading to the NSIEC office being set ablaze. Although the full extent of the damage is still unclear, several sensitive election materials are believed to have been destroyed.
Residents who spoke to Newsmen described the incident as a reaction to what they see as deliberate plans to rig the election. They called for immediate intervention from electoral authorities.
Security operatives have since been deployed to restore order, but there is no confirmation yet on whether any arrests have been made.
This incident comes just days before the scheduled local government elections on November 1, 2025, in Niger State an exercise already surrounded by political tension.
Reports of political influence and intimidation, including the arrest of a student from Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University in Mokwa, have further increased public anxiety.
