Soldiers in show of force in Benin, Auchi
Heavily
armed soldiers and riot policemen poured into the major streets of
Benin, Ekpoma, Uromi and Auchi in a show of force in preparation for the
Edo governorship poll on Saturday (today).
In Benin, the soldiers, who mounted
checkpoints on some streets, conducted stop and search on vehicles,
while passers-by were subjected to bodily search.
At the Akpakpava Street Business
District, where the Central Bank of Nigeria office is located, over 200
armed soldiers were sighted in the early hours of Friday escorting
electoral materials from there to INEC headquarters on Ikpoba Hill.
Our correspondent learnt that the show
of force and the stop and search might be connected with the alleged
circulation of fake voter cards, counterfeit INEC identity cards, as
well as riot police uniforms.
