Bye-election:Police Arrest 333 Suspects In Kano State
By Abdullahi Yusuf
The Kano State Police Command has arrested 333 suspects with various dangerous weapons during the recent bye-election and rerun election in Ghari,Bagwai and Shanono Local Government Areas.
The State Commissioner of Police,Dr Ibrahim Adamu Bakori,disclosed this while briefing newsmen in Kano on Monday.
“The elections, which were conducted under challenging circumstances, witnessed attempts by unscrupulous individuals to disrupt the process through the massive importation of thugs from within and outside the State.
“However, through the steadfast efforts of the Kano State Police Command and our partner security agencies under the Inter-agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), we were able to contain some of these threats.
“During the election process in Ghari, Bagwai and Shanono LGAs, a total of three hundred and thirty-three (333) suspects were apprehended. These suspects were arrested for disrupting the electoral process,” Bakori said.
He said weapons recovered from the suspects included one Pump Action Rifle,Five Locally Made Guns,94 Long Sticks (Gora),16 Swords,18 Cutlasses
32 Locally Made ‘Barandami’ Weapons,18 Knives,1 Bow and 23 Arrows.
Others were 7 Catapults,45 Stones 14 Motor Vehicles 2 Ballot Boxes,163 Thumb-printed Ballot Papers and Cash in the sum of N4,048,000.00.
The commissioner said all the suspects had been charged to Magistrate Courts,listing the charges to include criminal conspiracy, disorderly conduct, possession of offensive weapons, Intimidation, and loitering without lawful excuse after voting or being refused to vote.
Others,he said, were snatching or destruction of election materials, Improper use of vehicles and solicitation for votes of another voter on election day.
“The Kano State Police Command is committed to ensuring that justice is served and that those who seek to undermine our democratic process are held accountable,” Bakori added.