Abuja, Feb 15 (UNI) Ahead of presidential election, which is scheduled for Saturday, the Nigerian government on Thursday ordered the closure of all land borders to ensure a smooth process of the election in their country.
The African country will hold general elections on Saturday to elect the president and national assembly members.
According to Xinhua, in a terse statement, Minister of Interior Abdulrahman Dambazau said the land borders will be closed from Friday to Sunday.
In a separate statement, Muhammad Babandede, comptroller-general of the Nigeria Immigration Service, said there would be a restriction of movements across the Nigerian borders during the election and on the days announced.
To ensure a smooth funtioning of the elections, the police have also announced some restrictions.
"There would be a restriction of vehicular movement on Saturday, from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. local time," Xinhua quoted the national police spokesman, Frank Mba as saying.
"The restriction will assist the security agencies in effectively policing the electoral process, thereby preventing hoodlums and criminally-minded elements from hijacking and disrupting the electoral process," Mr Mba added.
Security is a big concern at Nigerian elections. Boko Haram is also a huge threat for the country which wants to establish an Islamic state in the northeast region.
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