Despite President Muhammadu Buhari’s warning concerning persons who snatch ballot boxes standing the risk of losing their lives, the Federal Capital Territory FCT Commissioner of Police, Mr Bala Ciroma has arrested 12 suspects carrying ballot boxes with thumb printed ballot paper.
The incident happened at CU 010, Asokoro Abuja, the nation’s capital.
In a related development, suspected ballot thieves snatched a ballot box from a polling unit at Ute-Okpu community in Ika North East Local Government, Delta State, Saturday morning, and took it to an unknown hideout.
It was learnt that the ballot snatchers caught security agents, including soldiers deployed to the area unaware.
However, soldiers cordoned off the area soon after the incident, searching voters and demanding that every person within the surroundings of the polling unit show his or her Permanent Voters Cards, PVCs, or be taken as a ballot thief.
A voter, who spoke to our reporter on the incident, said, “There is tension at Ute-Okpu over the incident, the boys of a well-known politician stormed the polling unit, snatched the ballot box and ran away with it in their vehicle. There was nothing the voters could do.”