Tension erupted in Niger State on Friday as angry residents of Magama Ward in Nasko Local Government Area set ablaze the office of the Niger State Independent Electoral Commission (NSIEC) over allegations of missing official result sheets for the forthcoming local government election.

Eyewitnesses told reporters that electoral officials arrived in the area with ballot papers but allegedly without the corresponding result sheets — a development that immediately sparked outrage among voters who accused the officials of attempting to rig the polls.

The protest quickly escalated into chaos as the mob stormed the NSIEC office and set it on fire. The extent of damage is yet to be fully assessed, but several sensitive electoral materials were reportedly destroyed in the blaze.

Residents expressed anger over what they described as a deliberate attempt to manipulate the electoral process, calling for accountability from the electoral body.

Security operatives were deployed to the area to restore calm, though no arrests had been confirmed at the time of filing this report.

The incident occurred just hours before the Niger State local government elections scheduled for November 1, 2025, amid growing political tension and allegations of interference.

In recent days, reports of intimidation — including the arrest of a student from Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Mokwa — have heightened anxiety among voters and cast a shadow over the credibility of the polls.