We have received several reports related to the ongoing gubernatorial and local assembly elections, especially in Southern Nigerian states where security officials including Soldiers, Policemen and personnel belonging to other outfits have disrupted the polls.

Unfortunately, this development has led to the loss of lives of citizens including security personnel themselves. See some of the incidents below:

Bayelsa: Soldiers kill ballot snatcher

Soldiers in Bayelsa reportedly killed (extrajudicially) a young man who attempted to snatch the ballot box. The incident occurred at a polling unit in Four Square road, Otuoke (home of former President Goodluck Jonathan). The soldiers chased him and gunned him down. 

President Muhammadu Buhari prior to the general elections warned that persons who attempted to snatch ballot boxes would pay for it with their lives. Someone just got paid. 

Rivers: Soldiers killed, Security Operatives bar people from voting in

According to reports from a security intelligence firm, some soldiers have been shot dead at Omoku Ogba, Egbema Local Government of Rivers state around 5:40PM. Their rifles were taken away by the gang members suspected to be political thugs. 

In the Ikwerre local government area (home town of Transportation Minister, Rotimi Amaechi), heavy gunshots by security officials and thugs led to disruption of voting in several areas, the gunshots continued into the afternoon, preventing many citizens from voting. 

In some other places in the LGA where voting held, the security operatives supervised the snatching of ballot box by hoodlums.