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Tag: Ballot box snatching

  • I was given police pistol to protect ballot box, says suspect

    A 26-year old man, Sylvester Arikhan, who was arrested with a police service pistol, has said that he was given the gun to protect ballot boxes during the House of Assembly election in Esan Central local government area of Edo state.

    Sylvester claimed that he was given the gun by one Ehis who promised to pay him N130, 000.

    He spoke to newsmen when he was paraded by the State Commissioner of Police, Danmallam Abubakar.

    Sylvester said he undertook the job because he needed the money to travel out of the country as he just got out of prison for cult related offences.

    He said he concealed the gun in his trousers as a party agent in ward 02, Unit 01, at Udomi Primary School, Irrua in Esan Central local government area of Edo in anticipation of violence from any quarters.

    “After the election, we followed the ballot boxes and nothing happened but I did not return the gun because I was paid only N10,000. I was hiding from Ehis. He is a bad guy. He tried to set me up.

    “When we attended a wedding, my friend brought N6,000 for me to buy bullets and fired some shots. I did it and gave the gun to Oboh Samurie to keep for me.

     “Oboh took a girl to a hotel and police arrested him after they found the gun on him.”

    The Police Commissioner said the suspects would soon be charged to court.

  • Police parade 52 for alleged ballot box snatching

    The Kogi State Police Command yesterday paraded 52 suspected political thugs and others.

    Commissioner Mr. Akeem Busari, while parading the suspects with arms, ammunition and other weapons recovered from them, said they were responsible for the electoral crimes committed during the general election.

    He said in line with the directive of the Inspector- General of Police, Adamu Mohammed, to ensure violence free elections and clamp down on thugs, the command adopted a comprehensive crime prevention and directed strategies and operational measures, including the beginning of raids of identified criminals’ hideouts, black spots and flashpoints across the state.

    Busari said operatives, working on actionable intelligence and in compliance with IG’s directives to clamp down on thugs determined to disrupt the elections, arrested the gangs responsible for electoral violence, as well as kidnapping of residents.

    He said the suspects were nabbed in their hideouts and locations across the state, adding that some of them confessed to their criminal roles.

    “They admitted to have participated in thuggery during the just concluded elections, kidnapping, robberies and attacks on travellers on highways across the state.

    “These achievements were due to the proactive strategies rooted in intelligence led policing, and robust interaction with the various strata of our communities, particularly in the area of information gathering; since it has become obvious that security is an all stakeholders’ affairs.”

    The command recovered 22 guns, including AK 47 rifles, locally made pistols, single barrel guns, locally made double barrel guns, Dane guns, pump action guns, locally made revolvers, cut to size double barrel pistols and a number of AK 47 live ammunition.

    Also recovered were cutlasses, expended cartridges, a green Vento saloon car and phones.

  • Oyo CP dismisses allegations of ballot box snatching in Ibadan

    The Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Shina Olukolu, yesterday dismissed reports of alleged ballot box snatching during the governorship and state assembly polls in the state.

    A former Oyo State governor, Rashidi Ladoja, and the governorship candidate of Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), Sarafadeen Ali, had complained of ballot box snatching in some areas in Ibadan.

    The duo alleged that ballot box snatching incidents occurred at Agbeni, Ojagbo, Iwo road and some areas in the Ibadan-North LGA.

    However, in a telephone interview with NAN, Olukolu said he had been to some of the areas mentioned and no issue of ballot box snatching occurred.

    The CP said the reports were false and that the politicians making such claims were only trying to outsmart one another.

  • Ballot box snatching: Police on red alert in Ogun, assure citizens of safety

    Ogun State Police Command yesterday warned that it would deal decisively with any person who foments trouble during today’s governorship and state assembly elections.

    The command’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Abimbola Oyeyemi, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), told The Nation that the police are fully prepared to foil any attempt at ballot box snatching.

    DSP Oyeyemi, who gave the assurance in Abeokuta yesterday, said the police have been put on red alert and would deal decisively with anybody that causes trouble.

    He urged citizens of the state to be law-abiding as they exercise their civic responsibilities.

    He assured citizens of the state of their security during and after the conduct of today’s governorship and state assembly elections.

    According to DSP Oyeyemi, the police are capable and fully prepared to curtail violence and ensure that the elections are without hitches.

    Although he gave no figure, the police spokesperson said that they have enough men and officers on ground to cover the  entire state.

    “We have additional three Commissioners of Police (CPs) to supervise the conduct of the elections.

    “Each one of them would take charge in the three senatorial districts, Ogun Central, Ogun East and Ogun West.

    “ ” An Assistant Inspector General of Police is the overall head and they have been mobilised to be on red alert,” Oyeyemi said.

  • PDP alleges vote buying, ballot box snatching in Zamfara

    Peoples Democratic Party gubernatorial candidate in Zamfara State, Dr. Bello Muhammad, has revealed that there are inadequate supply of electoral materials in Kauran Namoda local government of the state.

    Bello alleged that there were only one hundred ballot papers in one of the wards and over one thousand for the presidential election explaining that when INEC commissioner was contacted by a PDP candidate they chased him away, saying it was a sign and a prelude to rigging.

    Read Also: APC floors PDP in Ambode’s polling unit

    Muhammad disclosed this in an interview with journalists after casting his vote at his ward, Focal Primary School polling unit, Maradun South in Maradun local government area of Zamfara State.

    He further disclosed that he received a report of three ballot box snatching and that he witnessed where an APC councillor was allegedly sharing money and directing voters where exactly to thumb print.

    “Seven polling units were without electoral materials, we don’t know if INEC has compromised and is not ready for credible election and this is unacceptable. If there are no voting materials then there was no voting in these seven areas,” Muhammad explained.

  • Ballot box snatching, insufficient materials mar election in Imo

    The Presidential and National Assembly elections in Imo State were marred by late arrival and insufficient voting materials, as well as absence of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Officials.

    Though the turnout of voters was impressive, they were reported cases of ballot box snatching, shooting, among other repressive actions.

    In some places, aggrieved voters alleged that INEC officials in collusion with some politicians made away with the sensitive materials.

    There were also reported cases of ballot box snatching by hoodlums dressed in Military and Police uniforms in AbohMbaise,Ohaji-Egbema, Oguta, Oru East, IsiallaMbano and OwerriNorth  Council Area.

    A former governor of the state, and governorship candidate of the Accord party, IkediOhakim, who could not vote as a result of non-arrival of voting materials in his OsuOwerre Ward 1 in IsiallaMbano Council Area, until 3pm, expressed dissatisfaction over the conduct of the election.

    Addressing journalists, the former governor stated that, “here in OsuOwerre Ward 1, we have not seen INEC officials by 1pm and voting will stop by 2pm. I am afraid that this will disenfranchise the people”.

    Also expressing dismay over the late commencement of voting, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), IfeanyiAraraume, tasked the electoral umpire to put measure to ensure an improved performance during the next election.

    Meanwhile, the Imo State governor, RochasOkorocha has expressed satisfaction over the turnout of voters and the conduct of the election.

    The governor who addressed journalists shortly after casting his vote at ward 2 Ogboko in Ideato South Council Area alongside his wife, NkechiOkorocha, confirmed that the postponement did not affect the turnout of voters.

    Okorocha who arrived his polling Unit at about 11:04 expressed confidence that President Muhammadu Buhari will win the Presidential election with a wide margin.

    He said, “I am here with my wife at ward 2 Ogboko, for now I will say that everything is going on well. There is security everywhere.

    “I also had the rumour of ballot box snatching in Osemoto, among other areas. But given the Presidential Order many people are afraid. If not by now you will see alot of people carrying ballot boxes.

    “However, surprisingly there is no voter apathy; our people have realised that it is for the future of this country.

    “I have full confidence that Buhari will win and I will also win my senatorial election with God on our side”.

  • State of The Nation: There will be massive voters turnout – Eriye

    Political analyst and Sunday Editor of The Nation Newspapers, Festus Eriye, joined by Senior Correspondent Dare Odufowokan to discuss, the rescheduled 2019 election, President Muhammadu Buhari, ballot box snatching, INEC, Mahmood Yakubu, PDP and APC.

  • Awori leaders seek stiffer penalties against ballot box snatching, others

    The Awori Traditional Council (ATC) and the Awori Natives Coalition (ANC) have called for the review of electoral offences to make punishment for offenders more impactful.

    The two bodies said imprisonment for ballot box snatching and other electoral offences were not enough to deter sponsors and perpetrators.

    ATC and ANC called for “stiffer penalties” to send a strong signal to those wishing to perpetrate electoral violence.

    In a communique jointly signed by the Olota of Ota, Oba (Prof.) Adeyemi Obalanlege on behalf of ATC and the President of ANC, Chief Oye Taiwo, in Ota, the two bodies noted that the three-year imprisonment without any option of fine for electoral malpractices stipulated in Section 123 and Section 5 of the Electoral Act, 2010, as amended, was not a sufficient deterrent to electoral offenders.

    They said the tendency towards political intolerance among politicians was anti-progress.

    The two bodies urged politicians to shun the politics of do-or-die.

    They also threatened to invoke the spirits of their ancestors and unleash them against anyone fomenting trouble in Awori land.

    ATC and ANC advised electoral officials, especially National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members, against acts that could jeopardise the electoral process or put their future in jeopardy.

    Oba Obalanlege stressed the need to ensure that electoral offenders are brought to justice in accordance with the provisions of the law to stop impunity that are often displayed by some politicians and their agents during polls.

    Taiwo said: “There is need for traditional rulers to prevail on political gladiators in their domains to ensure peaceful conduct by their supporters, before, during and after the elections.”

     

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  • PDP to military: don’t obey order on ballot box snatching

    The presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Atiku Abubakar and PDP national chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, have urged the military and other security agencies not to obey the presidential order asking them to deal ruthlessly with would-be ballot box snatchers.

    The party chieftains described the order as unlawful, insisting that there are enough provisions in the nation’s laws for the arrest and prosecution of ballot box snatching and other electoral offences.

    Speaking at a national caucus meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja on Monday, President Buhari had said: “Anybody who decides to snatch boxes or lead thugs to disturb the election, may be that would be the last unlawful action you would take.

    “I have given the military and police the order to be ruthless. I am going to warn anybody who thinks he would lead a body of thugs in his locality to snatch boxes or to disturb the voting system; he would do it at the expense of his/her own life”.

    But speaking Wednesday in Abuja, at the 84th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the PDP, the two opposition chieftains cautioned President Buhari not to let loose anarchy in the country during the upcoming elections.

    Atiku said it’s shocking for any head of state to utter such words in a democracy and that Nigerians should not accept it from President Buhari, adding “We have fought more ruthless dictators than himself”.

    According to him, Buhari’s actions and utterances since he mounted the saddle in 2015 have been painful reminders of the era of military dictatorship.

    “General Buhari has consistently violated the constitution; he failed to uphold the rule of law. Recent instances include the unconstitutional suspension of the Chief Justice of Nigeria a day before he was supposed to inaugurate the committee for the election tribunals that will decided any appeals or whether our elections were subject to manipulation, thereby crossing the immutable line that divides the executive from the judiciary.

    “When you people are talking about democracy, I have always said that Gen. Muhammadu Buhari is not a democrat, he has never been a democrat. We started the fight to drive the military, he was never there, he never participated.

    “You can see that he just wore the garb of democracy so that he can come back to power and do whatever he is doing. So Gen Buhari is not a democrat, he doesn’t believe in democracy, he is a lip service, he is more of a power monger than a democrat.

    “A precondition for free, fair and credible election is that the people are able to freely vote the candidate of their choice. You owe it to the people to let them give their verdict in the same way that you were elected. If you do so and if you win, then the people will commend you for it. Otherwise, history will condemn you for it. But before history does that, we will condemn you for it,” Atiku added.

    Secondus said Nigerians were still in shock as a result of the order, stressing that the same President who has been “off duty” since the needless bloodletting in various parts of the country over the years, could give what amounted to shoot-on-sight orders against ballot snatching.

    Secondus said, “By that directive, ordering soldiers to kill our citizens without recourse to the law and with impunity, the President has unwittingly given license to APC leaders to carry military personnel on Saturday.

    “The agenda of that directive is clear; to scare away voters and agents, that we have directed to defend their votes, so as to give way to a military protected political thugs to come into the polling booths, and implement their result replacement strategy.

    “The President’s body language alongside that of his party hierarchy appeared remorseless for the damage done to our democracy or the huge private and public resources wasted by the inability of APC hawks acting as contractors and consultants to allow INEC to operate.

    “I can indeed make the conclusion, that from inception, President Buhari, was not ready for free and fair elections, otherwise he would easily have signed the amended Electoral Act, which would have enabled peaceful and hitch free elections in 2019.

    “President Buhari’s disregard for institutions of states, which started with the attempt of the Executive to hijack the Legislature, has continued unabated, with the illegal suspension of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice Walter Onnoghen, and the swearing in of an acting CJN”.

    The party chair insisted on non-deployment of military or paramilitary units to electoral duties, as, according to him, elections are civil activities, which the police are best trained to handle.

    He also sought assurances from the Federal Government that all communication assets – fixed and mobile, including the Internet, will not be interrupted or compromised during the elections.

    The party chair similarly urged adherence to steps taken by the government to safeguard the conduct of the elections, including restriction of movements and closure of the nation’s borders with the Republics of Chad and Niger.

    The meeting, which lasted several hours, was attended by key party stakeholders, including governors, federal lawmakers, former cabinet Ministers and members of the Board of Trustees.

  • PDP jittery over directive on ballot box snatching – Presidency

    The Presidency on Tuesday said that the opposition Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP ) is jittery over the directive by President Muhammadu Buhari to security agencies to deal ruthlessly with anybody that attempts to snatch ballot box during the forthcoming elections.

    Reiterating that anyone who dares to snatch ballot box during the elections will be doing it for the last time, the Presidency said that it should be seen as a strong message against the long history of savagery associated with elections in the country.

    Speaking with State House correspondents, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, recalled some past elections in parts of Nigeria, during which innocent voters lost their lives while ballot boxes were snatched by armed thugs.

    He said the President had the safety and security of Nigerians uppermost in mind when he made the comment, and should be praised rather than criticized for issuing this stern warning to potential ballot box snatchers.

    He also expressed concern about those attacking the president’s comment, and their worry over the fate of anyone caught snatching ballot boxes.

    Read Also: PDP alleges plots by Buhari, APC to truncate democracy

    He said “This sounds like members of the opposition, specifically the People’s Democratic Party, PDP who have perfected plans to rig the elections and to snatch ballot boxes.

    “They can tell that President Buhari is not prepared to tolerate their antics this time around, and they are afraid. They have shown their intent.” he said

    Shehu noted that no one had anything to fear from the President’s comments if their conscience and intentions were clear.

    He said, “Let’s just have free and fair elections and no one need worry about anything.

    “Snatching ballot boxes often entails putting the lives of innocent Nigerians at risk. About 10 years ago, evidence was brought before an election tribunal from one of the states in North Central of the gruesome killing of 26 prospective voters by ballot box snatchers.

    “Their modus operandi is well known. They storm election venues in commando style, overwhelm the law-enforcement agents and seize ballot boxes leaving a trail of death and injury.”

    He added “Anyone who dares to put the lives of innocent citizens at risk in their desperation to rig elections must be prepared for the possibility of losing their own lives because our security agents will certainly not stand by, clap for them and watch them kill and maim.“