Electoral Violence In Lagos Was Not Widespread – Police Commissioner, Owohunwa

The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Idowu Owohunwa has said that electoral violence and voters suppression in the Governorship Election held on Saturday, March 18 was not as widespread as portrayed.

Speaking in an interview on Channels Televisionon Saturday, Owohunwa confirmed that there were attacks on voters and electoral officers but not so much to affect the general dynamics of the voting process.

According to him, most of the instances were “properly responded to by the police because we anticipated them”.

When asked if the violence was anticipated, he replied, “Yes, in some instances. As security practitioners, when you plan operations of this nature, you must anticipate that some elements will want to become adversaries in the process. We anticipated and then we integrated that into our general operational plan and we activated that protocol effectively in this instance. Most of those breaches, the police were able to respond promptly.”

Owohunwa also responded to the claims accompanying some viral videos of alleged incidents of ballot box snatching.

Regarding a video of voters supposedly overpowering a young man alleged to have snatched a ballot box, the police commissioner said that contrary to information on social media, the young man is alive, after he was rescued by the police and other security agencies and that the suspected electoral offender was receiving medical attention.

Watch the videos below,