The Kano State Police Command on Saturday said it had arrested no fewer than 288 suspected political thugs for disrupting the rerun and by-elections across the state.
The command’s spokesperson, SP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, disclosed this in a statement, noting that the suspects were apprehended in different parts of Kano while attempting to unleash violence on voters and election officials.
According to him, dangerous weapons, including a pump-action rifle, locally-made guns, knives, and cutlasses, were recovered from the suspects.
Kiyawa explained that the arrests were part of the police strategy to maintain law and order during the election, stressing that those found culpable would be charged to court after investigation.
“The command will not condone political violence or thuggery in any form. We have made arrests and investigations are ongoing. Anyone found guilty will face the full wrath of the law,” he said.
The police also reaffirmed their commitment to protecting residents and ensuring that the electoral process was not undermined by criminal elements.
The by-election in Kano, which was conducted across several local government areas, was marred by sporadic violence and reports of vote-buying, raising fresh concerns about the role of political thugs in Nigeria’s electoral system.
Meanwhile, civil society groups and election observers have called on political leaders to caution their supporters against violence, warning that the trend poses a serious threat to Nigeria’s democracy.
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