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Nigeria police say more than 300 held for voting offences
ABUJA, March 5, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – More than 300 people were arrested on
suspicion of committing electoral offences during Nigeria’s recent elections,
the top police chief has said.
“A total of 323 offenders have so far been arrested for various electoral
offences and sundry crimes across the country,” Inspector General of Police
Mohammed Adamu said on Monday.
“Two officers also paid the supreme sacrifice, while some others were
assaulted and injured,” he added, vowing to liaise with the electoral
commission for any prosecutions.
The February 23 polls saw incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari, of the All
Progressives Congress, defeat his main rival Atiku Abubakar from the Peoples
Democratic Party.
Abubakar has rejected the result, calling the election a “sham” and vowed
to file a legal challenge.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, has a history of election violence
and malpractice, including ballot-snatching, voter intimidation and vote-
buying.
During the ballot, which Buhari won by nearly four million votes, some 53
people were killed and dozens of others were injured, according to monitoring
groups.
In 2011, more than 1,000 were killed in post-election violence in northern
Nigeria.
BSS/AFP/SSS/1534 hrs