The Nigeria Police Force in Ekiti State has arrested 11 suspected political thugs allegedly hired to disrupt the forthcoming All Progressives Congress (APC) House of Representatives primary election in the state.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Falade Adegoroye Micheal, disclosed this during a press conference held in Ado-Ekiti on Friday.
Falade said the Command had earlier deployed adequate security personnel, including tactical and intelligence units, across the state ahead of the APC primary election scheduled for May 15.
According to him, the deployment was aimed at ensuring a peaceful, credible and hitch-free exercise.
The police boss said the Command received credible intelligence at about 9:00 p.m. on May 14 that some suspected hoodlums armed with dangerous weapons were sighted at Onikoyi Hotel in Ikun-Ekiti.
He said operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) were immediately mobilised to the hotel, leading to the arrest of seven suspects, while others escaped in about three vehicles.
The suspects arrested at the hotel were identified as Adekunle Stephen, Adepoju Adebayo, Boluwaji Ishola, Oluwatobi Adeoluwa, Akintunde Emmanuel, Adewale Makanjuola and Ibitola Babatope.
Falade said exhibits recovered from the suspects included two pump-action guns, one Beretta pistol, nine rounds of 9mm live ammunition, four live cartridges, substances suspected to be charms, two Apple laptops and a Honda Accord car.
He added that further operations by the police led to the interception of an unregistered Toyota Sienna bus conveying four additional suspects who had initially escaped from the hotel.
The additional suspects were identified as Abanikanda Sikiru, Dayo Ibijowo, Ajayi Dele and Adegbite Damola.
According to the CP, one pump-action gun was also recovered from the vehicle.
Falade alleged that the suspects confessed during interrogation that they were political thugs hired by a serving member of the House of Representatives.
He said the suspects would be charged to court upon completion of investigation, adding that efforts were ongoing to arrest other fleeing suspects and their alleged sponsor.
The police commissioner advised residents to remain law-abiding and avoid acts capable of threatening the peace in the state during the electioneering period.
He reiterated the commitment of the Command, in collaboration with other security agencies, to maintaining security and public order across the state.
