No fewer than 288 thugs with dangerous weapons have been arrested by the Kano Police Command at the four local government areas where the bye-election is currently going on.
SP Abdullahi Haruna, the Command’s Public Relations Officer, confirmed the arrest of the suspects in a telephone interview with The Punch on Saturday.
“As at 1pm today (Saturday), 288 thugs were apprehended with dangerous weapons in the local government areas where the bye-election is going,” Haruna said.
He stated that the suspects were arrested for allegedly attempting to disrupt the bye-election.
He disclosed that the hoodlums were arrested alongside their sponsors with dangerous weapons, including one pump-action gun, four locally made guns, cutlasses and sticks, among others.
“Items recovered from the suspects included one pump-action gun, four locally made guns, a number of cutlasses, sticks, bows and arrows, knives, catapults, and other dangerous weapons,” he said.
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Meanwhile, hundreds of armed thugs were arrested by the security at Bagwai town as they attempted to disrupt the ongoing elections into the State House of Assembly in the local government area.
Abdu Zango, INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, confirmed to reporters that the thugs were moving into Bagwai with their weapons, but security personnel were on the scene and apprehended and arrested them.
Zango expressed pleasure with the election’s security and conduct. He did, however, say that some thugs apprehended in Shanono town nearly disrupted the movement of electoral equipment, but security immediately intervened.
He stated that Shanono has a history of being a dangerous location for elections, but that reports indicate that things are moving smoothly due to the massive presence of security officers.
