Presidential, NASS polls: Police confirm arrest of 120 electoral offenders arrested nationwide

One hundred and twenty people involved in various electoral offences were arrested by the Nigeria Police Force during the February 23, 2019, Presidential and National Assembly elections across the country.

ACP Frank Mbah, the Force Public Relations Officer, disclosed this on Wednesday in a live radio programme, “Police Diary” monitored in Enugu; noting that 38 various Improvised Explosive Device IED-making materials were equally recovered during the polls.

According to Mba, recovery of those weapons largely helped the police to control the security across the country during the election.

ACP Mbah explained that the recovered IED-making materials were reasons 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 help 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 the elections; but thankfully that interception was made,” he said.

While he said that investigation had commenced to unravel the circumstances or individuals behind the development, ACP Mbah assured 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 can not attack a police officer or any other law enforcement agent for that matter and go free.

“Nigerians need to support us in this regard if we must continue to defend Nigeria. Nigerians owe us a duty to also defend us and everyone that participated in that condemnable act involving the attack on a very senior police officer in Bayelsa State will be held to account.

“We didn’t record any situation where law enforcement agents turn their guns on the people, we didn’t record incidences of accidental discharge, we didn’t record incidences of excessive use of force by law enforcement agencies. I think these are areas we must be given kudos to, we were able to protect all election observers,” Mbah disclosed.