Scattered incidents of violence at Nigerian voting stations

There was chaos at one polling sales space in Nigeria’s business capital, Lagos, on Saturday afternoon as pictures have been fired within the air.

Individuals screamed and scattered, trying to find cowl, as armed males jumped out of a minibus and grabbed poll containers.

The incident left poll papers strewn throughout the highway and voters offended.

“We have been about to vote once we noticed them. They got here out of a automotive and shot within the air and all of us began operating then some group of individuals fell,” mentioned civil servant, Bayo Opadele.

He has he was one of many individuals who fell down and was injured within the stampede that adopted.

“I’m actually damage to be sincere, I am so upset. None of us had any clue that one thing like this was going to occur. So now we will not even vote anymore. Very quickly the police will come right here now. The policeman that was right here is nowhere to be discovered,” mentioned Opadele.

Residents had been queuing for a lot of hours when the stampede broke out, to vote in what is predicted to be Nigeria’s closest presidential ballot within the nation’s historical past.

“Are you able to see what is occurring now? They need to ensure that they suppress others from voting. That is unfair, that is insanity, this isn’t civilisation. That is what they name criminality and corruption of the very best order,” mentioned voter and Labour Occasion sector coordinator, Babatunde Deji Disu.

“When it’s a must to disenfranchise mass majority of individuals from voting, this isn’t good. This should not be accepted in any civilised society,” he mentioned.

Counting is underway now within the election which was marked by scattered violent incidents like this one on Saturday.

Nevertheless, analysts say that regardless of lengthy delays and safety points at some voting stations, the disruptions haven’t been on the dimensions seen in earlier polls.