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Nigeria Protest Over Alleged Opposition Killings

Thousands of Nigerians have taken to the streets in protest over alleged killings of opposition campaign workers and voting irregularities.

The All Progressive Congress (APC) claims scores of its members have been killed and blames people working for President Goodluck Jonathan's party.

Riot police and armoured cars were deployed to control the demonstration in the country's oil-producing centre, Port Harcourt.

Police reported that three people, including a soldier, were killed there on election day.

"Whatever trash will be announced as the result of today's election is not acceptable to us," the APC concluded.

"A sham and a charade," the party added, referring to the election.

It comes after polling had to be extended into Sunday in several areas because of problems reading biometric cards introduced to combat fraud.

The election - the tightest since the end of military rule in 1999 - has been marred by sporadic violence.

Officials say Boko Haram militants killed 39 people in northeastern Nigeria on Saturday.

Residents of the town of Miringa said the militants set fire to people's homes and then shot them as they tried to escape - reportedly killing 25.

The other 14, including a Gombe state legislator, were said to have died in later attacks on two other towns, Biri and Dukku.

After weeks of postponements , millions of Nigerians have now voted in an election between Mr Jonathan, of the People's Democratic Party, and former military dictator Muhammadu Buhari of APC.

Sky's Alex Crawford said: "Early indications are that the voting is going to opposition's way, and if that is the case political history will have been made here as the first democratic transfer of power.

"That would be something for Nigerians to celebrate."

Electoral commission spokesman Kayode Odowu said just 350 polling stations out of 120,000 were still voting.

He added that results would be collated within 48 hours of the polls closing.