Women show their new electoral cards while queuing at a accreditation centre in Abuja on March 28, 2015. After weeks of delays over an Islamic insurgency, Nigerians head to the polls on March 28 to elect a president for Africa’s biggest economy. AFP PHOTO / STRINGER (Photo credit should read -/AFP/Getty Images)

Witnesses say Boko Haram gunmen forced villagers to abandon three northeastern polling stations as Nigerians line up to vote in a closely contested presidential election.

Malam Shuaibu Biri says the Islamic insurgents wearing military fatigues drove in five pickup vehicles and motorcycles to villages in Gombe state and shouted at people to leave or risk being killed.

Nigeria’s home-grown extremists have threatened to disrupt the elections, saying democracy is a corrupt Western concept.

The Nigerian Defense Ministry on Friday announced it had destroyed Boko Haram’s headquarters in neighboring Borno state and driven the extremists from its strongholds in the states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe.

Nigerians are turning out in their millions to vote in an election analysts say is too close to call between President Goodluck Jonathan and former military dictator Muhammadu Buhari.

Associated Press