Hyacinth Chinweuba
One hundred and twenty people who engaged in various forms of electoral offences were arrested by the Nigeria Police Force during the February 23, 2019, presidential and National Assembly elections across the country.
Force Public Relations Officers (FPPRO), ACP Frank Mba, disclosed this yesterday in a live national radio programme.
Mba said that 38 types of weapons, large catchment of explosives and improvised explosive devices-making materials were equally recovered.
According to Mba, the recovery of the weapons largely helped the police to control security across the country during the exercise.
Mba explained that the seizure of the IED-making materials accounted for why explosions were not experienced anywhere in the South-West, South-South, South-East and North-Central parts of Nigeria.
“That massive interception by Delta State Police Command actually helped us to nip in the bud various dangerous things that could have occurred. Probably, we would have had a lot of problems on our hands during that elections but, thankfully, that interception was made,” he said.
While he stated that investigation had commenced to unravel the circumstances or individuals behind the development, he also declared that the police would ensure that all those who violated the Electoral Act would be diligently prosecuted.
“What I want to assure Nigerians this time around is that they will see clear cases of diligent prosecution of electoral offenders. We need to begin to take measures and take actions that will send a strong message out there that election offences are serious offences and that when you commit electoral offences you will not go scot-free. That is the only way we can begin to stamp out impunity gradually,” he promised.
“We had cases where very senior police officers were attacked, amounting to serious assault, and we also want to send a very strong message out there that you cannot attack a police officer or any other law enforcement agent for that matter and go free.
“Nigerians need to support the Police in this regard, if we must continue to defend Nigerians. Nigeria and Nigerians owe us a duty to also defend us and everyone that participated in that condemnable act, involving the attack on every senior police officer in Bayelsa State, will be held to account.
“We didn’t record any situation where law enforcement agents turned their guns on the people. We didn’t record incidents of ‘accidental discharge.’ We didn’t record incidents of excessive use of force by law enforcement agencies. I think these are areas we must be given kudos. We were able to protect all election observers,” Mba said.