THE Kano State Police Command on Saturday announced the arrest of no fewer than 288 suspected thugs armed with dangerous weapons during the ongoing by-election in four local government areas of the state.
The arrests were confirmed by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Abdullahi Haruna, in a telephone interview with this newspaper.
“As at 1pm today (Saturday), 288 thugs were apprehended with dangerous weapons in the local government areas where the by-election is going,” Haruna disclosed.
According to him, the suspects were rounded up while allegedly attempting to disrupt the electoral process, with some of them arrested alongside their suspected sponsors.
The police spokesperson revealed that a cache of dangerous weapons was seized during the clampdown, including: One pump-action rifle, four locally made guns, several cutlasses and sticks, bow and arrow as well as knives and catapults.
“These items were recovered as part of efforts to ensure a peaceful and credible election in Kano,” Haruna added.
Meanwhile, reports indicated that hundreds of armed thugs were intercepted by security forces in Bagwai town, as they attempted to invade polling units in the ongoing State House of Assembly by-election.
Similarly, in Shanono town, thugs allegedly tried to obstruct the movement of election materials, but were repelled by security operatives, who promptly arrested several suspects.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Abdu Zango, also confirmed the arrests, noting that without the swift response of security agencies, the election process could have been severely disrupted.
He described the conduct of the election as largely peaceful, attributing it to the heavy presence of security agents across volatile flashpoints.
“Shanono has always been a difficult area during elections, but this time, security agents ensured that the situation was brought under control. The process has so far remained smooth and credible,” Zango said.
Observers reported an impressive security deployment in the affected local government areas, which helped to restore calm and boost voter confidence.
The police reiterated their commitment to ensuring that those arrested would be prosecuted in accordance with the law, stressing that political violence and intimidation would not be tolerated.
As voting continued, INEC officials and security agencies expressed optimism that the process would be concluded peacefully.