THE State police command have arrested a suspect in connection with the destruction of some voting materials in some wards in the Ogbia Local Government Area of the state.
While voters had converged at the Ogbia wards 2, 3, 4 and 5 in the House of Assembly election, hoodlums suspected to be political thugs reportedly hijacked and destroyed voting materials meant for the wards.
Briefing newsmen at the Command’s Headquarters in Yenagoa, the State Commissioner of Police, CP Mohammed Dankwara, said a suspect had been arrested. He stated that efforts were ongoing to apprehend other suspects linked to the incident.
Describing the area as a riverine ward, the police boss said the hoodlums were able to destroy some electoral materials.
“Though we have made an arrest, we are now going to get the remaining people and find out who must have sent them to do that. Anybody whom we find out must have sent them there, the law will take its course,” Dankwara stated.
“Before coming out, the Divisional Police Officer told me that they have recovered some of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) (machines).”
In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Alabrah, Governor Douye Diri directed the Police to restore peace in the area.
He “described the act as highly condemnable and warned those behind any form of electoral violence in the state to desist forthwith as the full weight of the law would be brought down on the culprits.”
The governor stated that his administration “abhors any form of criminality, especially electoral violence as it prevents the electorate from exercising their franchise.”
