Ekiti State Police Command yesterday announced that it had arrested three hoodlums linked to the attack on voters in the Ekiti House of Assembly by-election on Saturday.
Violence erupted in Omuo Ekiti during the Ekiti East Constituency 1 polls on Saturday, leading to shooting in some polling units and the killing of three persons.
Commissioner of Police, Ekiti State Police Command, Babatunde Mobayo, gave an update on the crisis while addressing newsmen, said that a policewoman, who was among eight persons shot, was responding to treatment.
Mobayo, who spoke through the Command’s spokesman, ASP Sunday Abutu, said the policewoman was recuperating where she was taken to after being shot. He dispelled the rumour that the female cop was among those shot dead during the mayhem.
“This is to dispel widespread speculations in some quarters that a policewoman lost her life during the bloody poll,” Mobayo said.
On the arrests, Mobayo said that full manhunt had begun adding that the three suspected to be the perpetrators of the shootings were now being detained at the police headquarters in Ado Ekiti.
“Yes, three suspected party thugs have been arrested. They were picked up where they were hiding and are now being detained in our headquarters. Murder is a capital offence and police won’t watch and allow anyone take laws into his own hands freely. Nigeria is a nation being guided by laws.”
Just like we assured our people on Saturday, everyone who had hands in the killings will be brought to book. And I am assuring that all those that were arrested will be taken to court as soon as we conclude investigations and gather enough evidence”, the CP stated.The seat became vacant following the death of an All Progressives Congress (APC) assemblyman representing the constituency in the State House of Assembly, Mr Juwa Adegbuyi, in February. Owing to the bloody violence that greeted the polls, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced an indefinite suspension of the exercise.Gov. Kayode Fayemi also criticised the bloody violence and directed the police to get and prosecute the perpetrators, irrespective of their party affiliations.