Police arrest a total of 128 people for election-related offences and recover 38 types of weapons

POLICE have arrested a total of 128 persons across the country for election-related offences and recovered 38 assorted weapons from them with a view to prosecuting them for a variety of offences related to yesterday's polls.

Yesterday, Nigeria held presidential and National Assembly elections and although the process was by and large free and fair in all 774 local governments areas, there were several pockets of violence. In Rivers State for instance, elections did not hold in three local government areas and in Lagos, there were reports of ballot box snatching that affected about four polling units in Okota.

A few other states like Bayesla, Anambra and Ebonyi also reported some infractions and it is thought that the Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) may cancel the polls in the affected polling units. Responding to the disturbances, the police have swung into action, saying the suspects were apprehended for homicide-related crimes including vote-buying, ballot box snatching, impersonation and malicious damage among others.

Consequently, the acting inspector-general of police Mohammed Adamu, has directed the Special Election Investigation Team to immediately commence discrete investigation of all security-related infractions during the election and prosecute those found culpable. Police spokesman Frank Mba, said Mr Adamu expressed deep concerns over the continuous use of hateful and inflammatory comments capable of inciting Nigerians against one another, especially by politicians and their followers.

Mr Mba added: "Meanwhile, a total of 128 persons were arrested across the country for various electoral offences ranging from homicide-related crimes, vote trading, ballot box snatching, impersonation to malicious damage  while 38 assorted weapons and a cache of explosives were also recovered.”

He warned that while the force was not in the business of censoring Nigerians or abridging their constitutional rights of freedom of speech, the police would not hesitate to bring the full wrath of the law on anyone found culpable. Mr Mba added that notwithstanding a few unfortunate incidents, including loss of lives recorded during the election, the inspector-general of police hailed the exercise as a generally successful one.