2019 Election: Buhari Orders Military to Be Ruthless With Ballot Box Snatchers

‘Snatch ballot box, pay with your life’

President Muhammadu Buhari, Monday, warned that political thugs or persons that snatch ballot boxes during the forthcoming elections will be doing so at the risk of paying with their life.

The President was in a dead serious mood as he made the declaration during the emergency national caucus meeting of  the  All Progressives Congress, APC, at the party secretariat in Abuja.

He said he had directed the military to deal ruthlessly with anybody attempting to compromise the integrity of the elections.

“I do not expect anybody to make any disturbance,”President Buhari declared. “I have briefed the law enforcement agencies and the military to identify hot spots and flash points. They should be prepared to move. They too would have made their own arrangement as possible.

“And anybody who decides to snatch ballot boxes or lead thugs to disturb it. (the elections), maybe that would be the last unlawful action he would take. I have  directed the police and the military to be ruthless.

“We are not going to be blamed that we want to rig elections.  I want Nigerians to be respected, let them vote whoever they want across the parties. I’m not afraid. …I have gone round all the 36 states and Abuja. I think I have got enough support across the country.

“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 would do it at the expense of his own life.”