The Nigeria Police have confirmed that four people were killed
during the re-run elections in Rivers State on Saturday.
The Assistant Inspector General of Police,
Zone Six, Calabar, Adisa Bolanta, said four deaths were recorded while 22
persons were arrested during the elections.
Mr. Bolanta disclosed this on Sunday at a
joint security news conference in Port Harcourt.
He said the suspects were being interrogated
on allegations of criminal or electoral offences.
He said deployments made by the police
assisted in reducing election-related offences.
Also, the Commander of 2 Brigade, Nigerian
Army, Port Harcourt, Stephenson Olabanji, confirmed the arrest of the Secretary
to the Rivers State Government.
Also confirmed to have been arrested is a
Special Assistant to the governor.
Mr. Olabanji, a Brigadier General, said both men were arrested
in Gokana and Khana Local Government Area on Saturday for allegedly committing
electoral offences.
“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 said.
Mr. Olabanji denied claims by the state
government that some commissioners and other top officials were manhandled by
the Army during the re-run elections.
At a separate event, Governor Nyesom Wike
said the Peoples Democratic Party, would win Saturday’s re-run legislative
elections in the state because it prepared for it.
Mr. Wike told journalists in Port Harcourt
that when the elections of the legislators were annulled in December, the party
commenced preparations for re-run.
He said that the party began campaigns and
started working hard to win the elections because it was on ground.
The governor confirmed that the Secretary to
the State Government, Kenneth Kobani, and a Special Assistant, Cyril Wite, were
arrested by the Army.
Mr. Wike said the government officials wanted
to ensure that election materials were moved to polling units when they were
arrested. He said it would be difficult to rig elections in the state because
the people would resist the attempt.
According to him, when somebody is not
popular and attempts to rig the election, the people will say no to such move.
He alleged that some people were creating
problems to make the Federal Government declare a state of emergency in the
state.
Mr. Wike said that such ploy would not work,
because the PDP was more popular in the state.
He urged the media not to be emotional or
sentimental while reporting events in the state, because such stories create
wrong impression.
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