Snatch ballot boxes and die, Buhari warns potential trouble makers

Chidi Samuel|

President Muhammadu Buhari has warned potential ballot box snatchers to stay away from polling booths on February 23 or lose their lives.

At an emergency caucus meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja on Monday morning, the president warned that potential trouble, especially by carrying ballot boxes, would be doing so at the “expense of his life.”

”Anybody who decides to snatch boxes or lead thugs to disturb the election, maybe that would be the last unlawful action you would take. I have given the military and police the order to be ruthless.

”I am going to warn anybody who thinks he would lead a body of thugs in his locality to snatch boxes or to disturb the voting system; he would do it at the expense of his/her own life,” the president said.

“I rarely give the military and the police [the power] to be ruthless. We are not going be blamed but we won’t rig election. I want Nigerians to be respected; let them vote whoever they want across the parties. I’m not afraid of it.

“The whole 36 states in Nigeria, I went round. I think I have got enough support across the country to look after me. So I’m 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 will do it at the expense of his own life.”

The President also asked INEC not to take Nigerians for granted while urging security agencies to respect the right of Nigerians.