RESIDENTS of the Ago community, Okota area of Lagos State have been reported to have prevented some persons suspected to be political thugs from snatching ballot boxes during the governorship and House of Assembly elections on Saturday, March 18.
Viral videos showed the residents running after the suspected thugs in different directions.
“One of the thugs is down,” screamed one of the unidentified residents in the video, adding, “Let the police come and carry him. Look at him. He’s lying lifeless.”
The residents mocked the body, saying, “These are the people that came to take over (the) ballot box.”
The residents expressed delight with the situation, chorusing, “That’s what should be happening to political thugs.”
The ICIR reported how some Lagosians chanted, ‘Awa la l’Eko’, meaning, ‘We own Lagos’, at the Computer Village in the Ikeja Area of the state during the election.
The alleged death of the ‘thug’ is part of many killings in the 2023 elections.
The ICIR reported earlier today how a ballot snatcher was gunned down in Benue State.
The spokesperson of the Lagos State Police Command, Benjamin Hundeyin, did not respond to The ICIR’s call seeking to confirm the report. He did not also reply a text message sent to him over the incident.
The major candidates seeking the governor’s seat are the incumbent Babajide Sanwo-Olu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of the Labour Party (LP), and AbdulAzeez Adediran of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
According to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), about seven million voters are in the state. The state tops others in the number of permanent voter cards (PVCs) collected in the country.
Marcus bears the light, and he beams it everywhere. He's a good governance and decent society advocate. He's The ICIR Reporter of the Year 2022 and has been the organisation's News Editor since September 2023. Contact him via email @ mfatunmole@icirnigeria.org