By Chinelo Obogo
Less than 72 hours before the closure of the Continuous Voter Registration by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), yet unidentified thugs, stormed a Catholic Church in Lagos on Friday afternoon and hijacked registration machines.
The CVR exercise was still ongoing at St. Bridget Catholic Church in Ijesha, Surulere area of Lagos State, when the thugs reportedly came in carted away the machines.
Following the incident, the priest in charge of the parish locked up the church while people scampered for safety.
An eyewitness said the thugs came into the church and disrupted the exercise, accusing those who were trying to get registered of planning to vote for the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, (LP) Peter Obi.
In an amateur video circulating online, residents could be seen scampering for safety within the church vicinity after the thugs had left. The church gate was also locked and police trucks were stationed around the area to ensure peace and order.
INEC had insisted that CVR will end on July 31, prompting the Lagos State governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to approve four work-free days for workers in the state for them to get their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).
Also many markets in the state were recently shut on the orders of the governor to enable traders to register.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner for Lagos, Mr. Segun Agbaje was unavailable for comments.