More than 300 people were arrested on suspicion of committing electoral offences during Nigeria’s recent elections, the top police chief has said.
“A total of 323 offenders have so far been arrested for various electoral offences and sundry crimes across the country,” Inspector General of Police Mohammed Adamu said on Monday.
“Two officers also paid the supreme sacrifice, while some others were assaulted and injured,” he added, vowing to liaise with the electoral commission for any prosecutions.
The February 23 polls saw incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari, of the All Progressives Congress, defeat his main rival Atiku Abubakar from the Peoples Democratic Party.
Abubakar has rejected the result, calling the election a “sham” and vowed to file a legal challenge.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, has a history of election violence and malpractice, including ballot-snatching, voter intimidation and vote-buying.
During the ballot, which Buhari won by nearly four million votes, some 53 people were killed and dozens of others were injured, according to monitoring groups.
In 2011, more than 1,000 were killed in post-election violence in northern Nigeria.
