Jeff Amechi Agbodo, Onitsha
No fewer than 14 suspects have been arrested in Anambra State for offences ranging from ballot box snatching, disruption of elections and malicious damage to thuggery in various parts of the state during last Saturday’s elections.
The Anambra State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Rabiu Ladodo, who disclosed this while addressing newsmen at the police headquarters, Awka, said there was no loss of life during the exercise and commended the people of the state for a peaceful election.
He said exhibits recovered from the suspects included two vehicles, two motorcycles, three ballot boxes snatched from Okpoko, electoral materials such as ballot papers destroyed in Obosi and Ojoto collation centres, two knives as well as dry leaves suspected to be cannabis sativa.
Ladodo said the suspects would be charged to court as soon as investigation was concluded.
“I wish to advise all aggrieved parties that lost in the election not to take the law into their hands and foment chaos, but to explore the legal avenue and seek redress as stipulated by the law.”
“The Command will not fold its arms and watch any individual or group, no matter how highly placed, disrupt the relative peace in the state which the law enforcement agencies in the state are working assiduously to maintain,” he warned.