IGP re-echoes Buhari’s threat to ballot box snatchers

Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja

Twenty four hours after President Muhammadu Buhari gave security agencies order to be ruthless with ballot box snatchers in the coming elections, acting Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, has warned that those involved in the act will have themselves to blame.

Buhari on Monday at the opening of All Progressives Congress (APC), national caucus emergency meeting at the party’s secretariat in Abuja, warned political thugs that they risk losing their lives if they attempt to snatch ballot box during elections.

“I am going to warn anybody who thinks, he has enough influence in his locality to lead a body of thugs to snatch boxes or to disturb the voting system; he would do it at the expense of his own life,” President Buhari has warned.

Addressing State House correspondents after

a security meeting presided over by President Buhari at the State House Abuja, the acting IGP said the police were ready to protect Nigerians following the resolution at the security meeting that adequate be provided for all in the country.

Adamu said: “Today, members of the security community and intelligence community came and briefed Mr. President on the security situation in the country. We deliberated on the consequences and came up with the resolve to further provide adequate security within the country so that the electorate will come out and cast their votes without any fear of molestation.

“Every Nigerian is encouraged to come out on the election day and cast his or her vote without any fear of molestation. The security personnel are ready and prepared to protect everybody. Anybody that feels that he can come out and disrupt the process should have a rethink because that situation will not be allowed. If you plan and allow yourself to be used as touts, whatever happens to you, you will take it.

“Ballot snatching, ballot buying, and thuggery will never be allowed; anybody that is planning to snatch ballot boxes or planning to be used as a tout, will have his or herself to blame on the election day. So you better don’t allow yourself to be used.”