Election violence: Police arrest 19 suspects in Lagos, to prosecute 6 soon

The Police in Lagos are preparing criminal charges against 19 suspects arrested in connection with violence and other electoral offences during last Saturday’s governorship and State House of Assembly elections in the State.

The spokesperson for the Police Command, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, disclosed this on Tuesday, saying those arrested were involved in 21 cases, which included attacks on INEC officials, vandalism and ballot box snatching.

Parading the suspects at the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) Panti, Hundeyin said six of the suspects would be prosecuted for alleged electoral offences.

He said four of the suspects would be prosecuted by the INEC, while two found with arms and involved in other criminal acts would be prosecuted by the police.

According to Hundeyin, the suspects would be transferred to the Force Headquarters, Abuja, where they would be handed over to the INEC.

Other suspects paraded included two, who were allegedly involved in violence at Abule-Ado, Amuwo-Odofin area of Lagos, and a suspected cultist.

Also paraded were three suspected kidnappers, who confessed to having allegedly collected about N20.7 million ransom from victims.

Among other suspects paraded were two other suspects arrested for a stolen truck, carrying a brand new car belonging to the United States of American Embassy in Lagos.

Hundeyin said the suspects were arrested while trying to sell off the truck with the car for N5 million.

“The truck will be handed over to the U.S Embassy, while the suspects will be charged to court”, he said.

He said two suspected robbers, using Lagos commercial bus to rob unsuspecting passengers, were also paraded.

The image maker said the suspects allegedly stole the victims’ phones with a view to using the SIM Cards to buy credit or transfer the money in the victims’ accounts.

He, therefore, advised members of the public to always lock their Sims as the suspects confessed that they were unable to use any locked SIM card.

Hundeyin said the suspects would be charged to court at the completion of investigation.

Some of the exhibits displayed by the Police included over 2,000 PVCs, two ballot boxes, one BVAS machine, ballot papers, and firearms.