Police nab 11 suspected thugs ahead of Ekiti APC Reps primary

By Boye Oyeyemi

The Ekiti State Police Command has arrested 11 suspected political thugs allegedly mobilised to disrupt the All Progressives Congress House of Representatives primary election scheduled for Saturday.

The state Commissioner of Police, Michael Falade, disclosed this on Friday while addressing journalists in Ado-Ekiti, saying security had been tightened across the state ahead of the exercise.

Falade said the command deployed tactical and intelligence operatives to monitor political activities and prevent violence during the primary election.

“Ahead of the APC primary election, we deployed adequate security personnel across the state to ensure a peaceful, free and credible exercise,” the CP said.

He explained that the operation followed intelligence reports that armed hoodlums were sighted at Onikoyi Hotel in Ikun-Ekiti on Thursday night.

According to him, operatives of the Rapid Response Squad stormed the hotel and arrested seven suspects, while others escaped in three vehicles from the scene.

“During the raid, two pump-action guns, one Beretta pistol, live ammunition, cartridges, suspected charms, laptops and a Honda Accord vehicle were recovered from the suspects,” Falade stated.

The police boss added that four additional suspects were later intercepted in an unregistered Toyota Sienna bus, alleging that preliminary investigation equally linked the suspects to a plot to destabilise the APC primary election, while efforts were ongoing to arrest fleeing suspects and prosecute those in custody.