VIDEO: Drama as police officers flee as armed thugs disrupt elections

A video capturing the moment Nigerian police officers fled from armed thugs during the Ondo State governorship election has gone viral, sparking heated debates across social media.

The footage shows thugs storming a polling unit, firing gunshots to scare voters and snatch ballot boxes, while police officers stationed there took to their heels.

Watch the video below;

https://x.com/TrendingEx/status/1858035226699546963?t=-xx36tyiKr9PZDPUbwsYnQ&s=19

The incident has drawn mixed reactions, with many Nigerians questioning the preparedness of security personnel deployed to protect the election process.

Critics took to social media to express their displeasure, accusing the police of being quick to harass civilians but failing to confront armed threats. One user commented, “If it were young people on the road, they would label them Yahoo boys and harass them, but now they’re running from real criminals.”

However, others defended the officers, arguing that they were likely unarmed and ill-equipped to confront such a dangerous situation. A supporter noted, “What do you expect an officer to do when they’re outnumbered and without firearms? Their safety matters too.”

Read some netizens’ reactions to the video below;

@Digiola: Are you expecting officer without holding gun to protect to stay? If he was with gun and then run ‍♂️ then you could say such harsh words but without gun at hand omo …if na you be the officer without gun at hand you go wait?

@titan: Useless people, if they come across any young guy living or managing his life, they’ll suddenly turn into John Wick.

@bowmie: Be at wetin ?
U dey whyn person
Oga run o.

@iammaic:
Nigeria don tire me.
private citizen dey tell trained Police Officer to e at alert…

@ifrekcom: Police wey suppose dey at alert normally na civilian dey go tell am to be at alert.

The incident has reignited concerns about the adequacy of security measures during elections in Nigeria, where violence and ballot snatching remain prevalent. Many have called on the government to ensure that law enforcement officers are better trained and equipped to handle such scenarios in the future.