Nigeria Elections: Confusion, Bottles And Sticks Amid Lagos Violence

There have been violent incidents at several polling stations in Lagos.

At one visit by the BBC, in Channels Estate, in Ajah, a suburb of Lagos, a group of men were seen holding bottles and sticks and leaving ballot papers spread on the ground.

“There was pandemonium, people ran and scuttled away for their lives. We did not expect it. We’ve been here since morning and this people came from nowhere and threw everything out,” Mrs Okonta, a voter, told the BBC.

No military or security presence could be seen at the centre by the BBC at the time the incident occurred.

“We are standing our ground and we’re going to cast this vote because it’s our future and the future of our children,” Mr Ade, another voter, told the BBC.

In AtIgbokusu, near the Lekki area of Lagos, Sunny Njokua told the BBC that a group of boys arrived holding bottles and machetes and chased people away.

“They stole the Inec officials’ phones and took the three ballot boxes, now elections have been disrupted and discontinued,” he alleged.

The BBC could see thumb-printed ballot papers and broken polling booths littered all around the unit, and some of the people who were there to vote presented minor injuries and bruises.

Leaning on the arms of her husband, who had a bleeding arm, Dr Okoli Nkem, was limping because of a sprained ankle.

She says it was a peaceful atmosphere as accreditation and voting had begun until the area was thrown into chaos.

“Bottles were flying in the air and masked men approached the polling unit. They broke the boxes and stole the phones of the electoral officials and now we can’t vote,” Dr Nkem said.

Immediately after Nigerian army officers arrived at the venue and assured voters of their safety.

Violence and voter intimidation have been reported in Ajah, a suburb of Lekki.
Some election materials were destroyed and voters scampered for safety. pic.twitter.com/hAXGaoqYN3

— Nkechi Onyinyechi Ogbonna (@nkechinna) February 25, 2023

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