The army said on Friday in Port Harcourt that it arrested six suspected political thugs and recovered arms and ammunition from them after soldiers raided their hideout.
Brig.-Gen. Koko Essien, the Commander of 2 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, who told newsmen that the suspects were arrested after a prolonged exchange of gunfire, explained that the raid was part of efforts to make the environment safe for people to go out and vote. Continue Reading
He said that one suspect, who fled the scene of the shootout with multiple gunshot wounds would soon be apprehended as soldiers were currently on his trail.
“We want you (newsmen) to have a view of many things we have been doing in other to take out as much arms as possible from the streets and make the environment safe for people to go out and vote.
“Based on information available to us, we have been conducting series of raids in areas a concentration of hoodlums and political thugs.
“Yesterday (Thursday), we raided a location popularly known as Barracks in Mile 3 (Wimpey) area based on information we got and we recovered arms and ammunitions.
“We arrested six suspects – one was shot and he is in the military hospital receiving treatment.
“We recovered two AK 47 riffles with 176 rounds of (live) ammunitions, seven magazines, some (144) raps of Indian hemp, money (N298, 500.00), and 10 cell phones from the criminals.`
Essien said that troops had been deployed to flash points to tackle any form of electoral violence during and after the Governorship and House of Assembly elections on Saturday.
According to him, the military will stop at nothing to make sure that the streets, city, hinterlands and waterways are protected to enable people to go out and vote candidates of their choice.
Reacting, the suspected leader of the gang (names withheld), said he was not among the thugs who had engaged security agents in a shootout on March 28, the day the Presidential and National Assembly elections were held.
He denied ownership of the arms, saying that only 144 raps of Indian hemp were recovered at his apartment during his arrest.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that a soldier and two persons were shot dead during a shootout between security agents and suspected political thugs on March 28.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army on Friday reassured Nigerians of security during and after Saturday’s elections and urged them to be law abiding.
This is contained in a statement issued in Abuja by the Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman.
“As the 2015 Governorship and House of Assembly elections approach, the Nigerian Army enjoins all Nigerians to remain law abiding,” Usman said.
He urged Nigerians to continue to discharge their civic obligation of voting for the candidates of their choice on Saturday without any fear.
He said the army was partnering with other security agencies to ensure the safety of lives and property of all Nigerians before, during and after the elections.
“To this end, the Nigerian Army has directed all formations and units to remain vigilant and act within the law to prevent any attempt to endanger the lives of Nigerians wherever they may reside,’’ the army spokesman said.
He advised all army personnel on election duty to discharge their duties professionally and within the confines of the Code of Conduct for military personnel.
Usman assured Nigerians of the army’s continued subordination to constituted authority and protection of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
No fewer than eight ballot boxes and 310 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) have been recovered from hoodlums prior to March 28 presidential and national assembly elections in Ndokwa East Local Government Area, Delta State.
This was disclosed on Friday by Commanding Officer of 222 Battalion, Agbarha-Otor, Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State, Lt. Col. Mathew Oyekola, during a show-of-force aimed at reassuring electorates of a hitch-free voting exercise today by men of the battalion.
Lt. Col. Oyekola stated that the show-of-force exercise was necessary to also send a warning signal to trouble makers to steer clear of electoral irregularities in today’s voting exercise.
According to him, “As a command, we made series of successes in stemming the tide of election irregularities by arresting some persons who wanted to perpetrate violence as well as the recovery of 8 ballot boxes and 310 PVCs at Ndokwa East Local Government Area.
The suspects and the electoral materials have since been handed over to the police and the Returning Officer for the LGA.”
The show-of-force exercise embarked upon by the soldiers covered Ughelli North, Ughelli South, Isoko North, Isoko South and Ethiope East, Ndokwa East, Ndokwa West, Bomadi as well as Burutu Local Government Areas.
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