Staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission and voters scampered for safety on Saturday when an explosion rocked the Umuola Hall, Ward 8, Ogbor Hill, Aba North Council in Abia State.

The incident occurred during the ongoing bye-election into the Aba North-South Federal Constituency seat.

It was gathered that the explosion was cause by a substance suspected to be a bomb.

Although no life was lost in the explosion but electoral materials were destroyed.

Security agents had stormed the area and restored order, and voting and had started again.

A voter, who gave his Chinedu Eze, said they were on queue when a loud sound enveloped the area and everyone fled.

He said, “We were on queue, some people were being accredited to cast their votes when we heard a loud sound. Everybody took to their their heels. It was a bomb and we didn’t know where it came from.”

Efforts to get the reaction of the INEC as well as the State Commissioner of Police, Janet Agbede, were not successful as of the time of filing this report.