Police Confirm 10 Suspected Hoodlums Arrested over Burnt INEC Vehicles in A’Ibom

The Akwa Ibom State Police Command Monday confirmed that 10 suspected hoodlums who set ablaze 11 election vehicles of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Obot Akara Local Government Area (LGA) of the state have been arrested.

 The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Bashir Makama, disclosed this while briefing journalists on the security situation in the state before the postponed elections.

The state police boss who was represented by the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Macdon Odiko, said the 10 suspects were arrested on February 15, being the eve of the elections, at about 10:05 p.m.

He explained that the hoodlums, during the period, machete and killed one unknown person at the Obot Akara Local Government Area closed to INEC office.

According to him, “Furthermore, on February 15, 2019, the eve of the 2019 general elections, at about 10:05p.m., hoodlums at Obot Akara Local Government Area, close to INEC office, machete and killed one person whose identity is still unknown and burnt 11 buses.

“The Police Command acted swiftly and arrested 10 persons in connection with the crime, and the following exhibits were recovered from them-two locally made short guns; 25 live cartridges; weeds suspected to be marijuana; two machetes and charms of different types.

“Other items recovered included one knife, one scissor, hot drink, cell phones, dead bird, human hairs and two axes.”

The CP said the 10 suspects arrested would be transferred to Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) for more discreet investigation.

Similarly, he said on the same February 15, the command apprehended 41 persons at Angeline hotel opposite Dove International School in Uyo, who came from Bayelsa, Delta and Ondo States.

He said the arrested persons claimed to come to the state as observers for the 2019 general election.

However, the police commissioner said  the 41 arrested persons could not give any proper or reasonable identity of themselves and had no INEC identification tag.

Makama said more investigation was ongoing to determine their true identity and purpose in the state.

Also, he added that on the same February 15, another 20 persons were nabbed at Ukanafun who were brought in from Rivers State by one Uduak Dick of Ikot Akpan Nkuk, who were lured into the state on the pretext of attending a burial of Lance Cpl. Udo Essien of the Nigerian Army.

The commissioner also added that on February 17, the command apprehended two suspects, who confessed to be political thugs hired from Ukwa village in Odukpani council area in Cross River State by unidentified politician.

He therefore urged politicians to play the game according to the rules, advising supporters to conduct themselves peacefully during the general election in the state.

Speaking to journalists, one of the suspects from Bayelsa State,  Okoroda Scaine, said the 41 of them came to Akwa Ibom State as elections observers under Society for Advancement for Credible Leadership and Observation.