Soldiers arrest ballot box snatchers in Bayelsa

Two persons suspected to be agents of one of the political parties involved in Saturday’s supplementary governorship election in Bayelsa have been arrested for allegedly snatching a ballot box.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the suspects were arrested by soldiers at Otuokpoti Unit 1, Ward 2, Ogbia Local Government Area, where the box was allegedly snatched.

The suspects were said to have forcefully carried the ballot box while polling was ongoing at the unit.

The incident caused pandemonium at the unit but after the suspects were taken away, accreditation and voting resumed.

An Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) official in the ward, who did not want to be named, confirmed that security reinforcement had been sent to the area and that election would continue.

 A member of the security team in the ward said the suspects would be taken to Yenagoa, the state capital, while investigation would be carried out on the incident.However, police in the state said they were yet to receive report on the incident.

Spokesman of the command, Mr. Asinim Butswat, said it was possible that such incident occurred in the polling area but that the command had not received report on it.

Soldiers arrest ballot box snatchers in Bayelsa