Army clarifies arrest of SSG, gives death toll in Rivers poll
– Police revealed how many were killed during the Rivers rerun election
– Army gives reasons for the arrest of Kenneth Kobani
The Nigerian police have released an official death toll for the rerun election in Rivers state on March 19, Saturday.
Adisa Bolanta, the assistant inspector general of police in zone six, Calabar, confirmed that four deaths were recorded while 22 people were arrested during the poll.
He revealed this at a joint security press conference in Port Harcourt.
READ ALSO: Rivers Rerun: INEC suspend all further action
Bolanta said suspects were being quizzed on accusations of criminal or electoral offences.
According to him, deployments made by the police helped in reducing election-related crimes. In the same vein, the commander of 2 brigade of Nigerian army, Stephenson Olabanji, explained the arrest of the secretary to the Rivers state government, Kenneth Kobani.
He said that a special assistant to the governor was also arrested. Olabanji added that both men were arrested in Gokana and Khana local government area on Saturday for supposedly committing electoral offences.
His words: “Many people were arrested yesterday for disrupting the electoral process and the law is not meant for just the lower cadre alone.
“No matter who you are, if you go against the law, you will definitely face the music.
“So, there is nothing like being Secretary to the State Government; many people were arrested as you have been told; a lot of people were arrested.”
He denied reports by the state government that some commissioners and other top officials were manhandled by the army during the re-run polls.
The violence erupted during the federal and state legislative rerun elections in Rivers state. Kobani has now been released from police custody.
At the same time Nigeria’s electoral body has delayed all further action on the election to the National Assembly and the House of Assembly.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Send your Comment and you get response quick