Nigeria braces itself for election violence

NIGERIA’S police chief, worried that violence could disrupt today’s presidential election, yesterday warned “thugs” that his 250,000 officers would show no mercy to anyone who disrupted voting.

“Anybody that dares the security forces will be crushed by the might of law enforcement,” Tafa Balogun, the inspector-general of police, said in an eve-of-poll speech.

“We have declared more than ever to blast, wound and technically amputate any thug or thugs and their sponsors,” Balogun thundered, adding to the tension in the volatile nation of 120 million people.

Anger is still smouldering over parliamentary polls on April 12 in which the opposition accused President Olusegun Obasanjo’s Peoples Democratic Party of brazen vote-rigging.

On Thursday, Obasanjo warned his main challenger, Muhammadu Buhari, not to incite the army or police.

Buhari and other opposition leaders have pledged to stage “mass action” if the government or ruling party tries to rig today’s presidential election and governorship races in all 36 states.