Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa

The Bayelsa State government has appealed to the federal police to prosecute persons arrested for various electoral offenses during the last general elections in different parts of the state.

The Nigeria Police had arrested several suspects in different parts of the state during the February 23 Presidential and National Assembly elections and the March 9 House of Assembly elections.

The government in a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters, Mr Akpoebi Agberebi, said suspected electoral offenders should not be allowed to go scot free.

According to him, those arrested for being in possession of multiple Permanent Voter Cards (PVC) and other electoral materials should face the wrath of the law as prescribed in the Electoral Act.

Agberebi, who wondered why the police had kept quiet on the arrests made during the election, added that the state police command has a responsibility not to overlook brazen acts of criminality against the state.

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He disclosed that operatives of the command on February 26 had intercepted a Lexus saloon car with registration number Lagos BDG 809 EX conveying PVCs and electoral materials

According to him, operatives had impounded the materials and the vehicle, arresting its owner and the driver for interrogation and further investigation.

Agbrebi, who revealed that the suspect was a candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for one of the state constituencies in Yenagoa, said that the suspects volunteered written statements on the items in their possession.

“The government position is that the police should not sweep this violation of the electoral law under the carpet. The police should promptly charge the two suspects to court as only such step would prevent desperate politicians from further violating the laws of the land,” he said.

Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Mr Asinim Butwats, in reaction, said the police are compiling the list of those to be prosecuted.

Butwats, who assured that all the suspects are in police custody, said after the conclusion of the supplementary elections on Saturday March 23, the police would get down to the matter of prosecuting suspected electoral offenders.