Ondo Elections {VIDEO}: Årmëd Thugs, Police Took Sprint Instead of Service

Ballot Boxes on the Run: When Police Took the Sprint Over Service

If there’s one thing Nigerians know how to do, it’s turn tragedy into comedy. And that’s exactly what unfolded during the recent elections in Ondo State when Nigerian police officers decided their uniforms were more suited for athletics than law enforcement.

Picture this: election day is in full swing. Citizens gather under the hot Ondo sun, ready to exercise their civic duty. The ballot boxes stand tall, like brave soldiers, awaiting the votes they’ll carry. Suddenly, a wild twist in the script—gbagaam! Arméd thugs storm the polling unit, gûns blazing, and everything turns chaotic.

You’d think, “Well, thank God the police are here to maintain order.” But alas, our men in black and blue took one look at the situation, whispered “not today,” and took off faster than Usain Bolt in his prime.

Eyewitnesses claim the officers didn’t just run—they vanished! “It was as if they were rehearsing for a ‘Fast and Furious: Nigerian Elections’ edition,” one voter quipped. Another onlooker, barely able to stifle laughter, said, “The thugs didn’t even chase them; they had the ballot boxes in one hand and were laughing at the police with the other!”

As might be predictable in the Nigerian people, Social media will likely catch the wind of the drama, and hashtags like #BallotBoxMarathon and #RunPoliceRun might begin to trend. One Twitter user joked, “We’ve been asking for police reform. Maybe they’ve decided to switch careers to track and field?”

The fleeing officers have sparked serious debates online about the state of security during elections. While their actions drew ridicule, it also highlighted the vulnerability of the electoral process. After all, if the police—armed and trained—are bolting at the sight of trouble, what’s left for the defenseless voter?

Maybe, just maybe, there’s a lesson in all of this: the next time elections are near, perhaps we should start with a fitness test for our officers. Because clearly, in Ondo, the ballot box wasn’t the only thing that went missing—it seems courage took a leave of absence too.

For now, let’s add this to the growing list of Nigerian election day stories. Who needs Nollywood when real life is this dramatic and funny?