The police in Niger state have arrested 62 suspects over violence which trailed the conduct of the recent All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries in the state.
The state’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Mohammed Abubakar Dan-Ina, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday in Minna.
According to him, the arrest was made across five local government areas of the state, where violence marred the exercise.
“Consequent upon pocket of political violence by some irate youths in the conduct of primary election across the state, the Police Command has so far arrested a total number of 62 suspects for violence from five local governments of Katcha, Rafi, Tafa, Paikoro and Rijau,” he explained.
He listed the number of arrest per Local Government Area to include two suspects from Katcha, 10 from Rafi and 44 thugs from Tafa Local Government.
Others are three suspects from Paikoro while three suspects were picked from Rijau.
He said a Toyota vehicle laden with dangerous weapons such as machetes, daggers and knives were recovered from the suspects.
DSP Abubakar said that the suspects have been charged to court for unlawful assembly, disturbance of public peace, being in possession of dangerous weapons and for sponsoring thuggery in accordance with the Niger State Anti-Thuggery law.
The statement quoted the Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Adamu Usman, as warning anyone with intention of fomenting trouble in the forthcoming Local Government elections to have a rethink or face the wrath of the law.
He assured members of the public that the Police will continue to improve on the security of live and property in the state and at the same time solicits the support of Nigerlites in giving useful and timely information to the Police.
