Polls update: Under-age voting recorded in Kano, Sokoto, Bauchi

Polls update: Under-age voting recorded in Kano, Sokoto, Bauchi

Voters queuing to vote during a recent election

Under-age voting again characterized the supplementary polls in some parts of Sokoto, Kano and Bauchi State, according to reports from election observers.

Similar incidents were reported in earlier elections in some parts of the north with INEC officials unable to stop the infant voters.  “All the under-age voters had permanent voter cards duly issued by INEC so it is difficult to stop them,” says an adhoc staff in a ward at Gama in Nasarawa local government area of Kano State.

Meanwhile, the Police Command in Kano State has dispatched more reinforcement of security personnel to Gama ward to beef up security at the polling units located in the ward.

The Public Relations Officer of the Command, DSP Abdullahi Haruna, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kano.

He said that the deployment of additional security personnel to the areas followed the visit by the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Anthony Michael, to the area.

He said that following the report on the security challenges at the area, the DIG visited the ward to assess the security situation there.

According to him, the deployment of additional security personnel was necessary as part of efforts to enhance security as well as ensure the protection of lives and property in the affected areas.

“The DIG has visited Gama ward to assess the situation and had since sent more reinforcement to protect lives and property,” he said, adding that the situation had since been brought under control.

On the alleged arrest of the Commissioner for Special Duties, Muktar Ishaq, the Police spokesman denied the story, saying “I am not aware of arrest of any Commissioner”.