From Desmond Mgboh, Kano and Chris Oji
The police yesterday said they arrested no fewer than 178 suspects for various electoral offences during last Saturday’s governorship and state House of Assembly elections.
While 161 suspects were arrested in Kano, 17 were arrested in Lagos.
Parading the suspects arrested in Kano at the Bompai Police headquarters, yesterday, the police identified them as political thugs of different political persuasions in the state, including some party chieftains.
The state Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Gumel, told journalists that one of the suspects, Isyaku Danja, was a member of the state assembly, who was picked for leading thugs to attempt to attack INEC Collation Centre at Gezawa Local Government area as well as the police divisional office in the town.
Their offences, he stated, included disruption of the voting exercise, vote buying, destruction of election materials, attempt to burn down INEC Collation Centres at the local government areas, being in possession of offensive weapons, and being in possession of illicit drugs and combustibles.
Gumel charged political parties to desist from spreading fake news and hate speeches capable of disrupting the peace of the state, even as he admonished the eventual winners to desist from reckless celebrations that may likely cause death, injury or damage to property.
The Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of the North-west zone, Hafiz Mohammed Inuwa, described Saturday’s polls in the zone as largely peaceful, insisting that no other zone was able to achieve the level of peace recorded in the zone.
In Lagos, the state police command’s Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, said the 17 suspects arrested were involved in 21 cases, which included attack on INEC officials, vandalism and ballot box snatching. Others were fake INEC ID card possession, conduct likely to cause breach of peace, assault occasioning harm and illegal possession of firearms.
Hundeyin said all the 17 suspects had been taken to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti, Yaba, for further investigation. He said those culpable of electoral offences would be handed over to INEC for prosecution, while those for other criminal offences would be charged in court.