I am a Party agent, not a political thug …Suspect
Sixteen political Thugs have been arrested by the Cross River state Police Command for their alleged involvement in various levels of Political thuggery, violence including ballot box snatching.
Nigeriacrime.com learned that the suspects were arrested in Obudu LGA of the state by the military and handed over to the police.
Confirming their arrest, the Police Public Relations Officer SP Irene Ugbo who spoke with Journalists while parading the suspects said they were arrested in Obudu LGA of the state by the military and handed over to them.
SP Ugbo explained that they had to arrest them and will charge them to court in a bid to serve as a deterrent to others who might be nursing any nefarious intentions to commit havoc come March 11th, 2023 which happens to be the governorship and state House of Assembly elections.
The Police spokesperson further stated that before now the state command had released several press statements and warnings to the public especially parents to caution their children, and wards to avoid being used by desperate politicians during elections to avoid being on the wrong side of the law.
Her words:” These here refused to adhere to several warnings by the Command they decided to follow desperate politicians for little stipends.
“We have been hammering it before now that electoral violence and thuggery is a crime but they refused to listen, we will charge them to court so that they can face the full wrath of the law.
“They will be used as example to serve as deterrent to others with similar intentions because we still have another election coming up on the 11th of March.
“They have confessed to the crime of election violence, some of them were arrested while working with the Chairman of the opposition party in the state and a Senatorial candidate of the Party in the just concluded Senatorial elections. We will invite all those involved to come and give us their statement, “she said.
Speaking further, she said one English pistol and other five locally made guns were recovered from them as evidence to show that they were involved in election violence as they aided the disruption of elections and ballot box snatching in some parts of the state.
Meanwhile, some of the suspects said they were not involved in any form of political violence or thuggery while other claimed to be agents of the ruling Party in the state and others members of vigilante group.
According to one of the arrested suspects, Francis Adie “we were randomly arrested by soldiers in Obudu a day before the Presidential and National Assembly elections.
“l am a member of the APC where I coordinate for my polling unit in Obudu and over N500,000 was paid into my account to coordinate my unit during the elections and I have five others of my members here who were also arrested,” he said.