Kano police parade 85 thugs arrested with knives, release 2 LG chairmen arrested with pistols+ photos

The Kano State Police Command has paraded 85 suspected thugs arrested during the homecoming rally of the presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP but freed two local government chairmen arrested pistols.

A joint security force, comprising the military, police, SSS and NSCDC, had earlier arrested the chairmen of Ungogo and Rimingado Local Government Areas of Kano State, Abdullahi Ramat and Munir Dahiru respectively with pistols.

A credible security source told DAILY NIGERIAN that the duo was arrested while leading armed thugs to attack the convoy of the presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, Rabiu Kwankwaso, along Zaria Road, Kano.

Another security source told this newspaper on Thursday evening that the two local government chairmen have been released, following the intervention of the governor of the state, Abdullahi Ganduje.

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Sources further said the governor had summoned a security council meeting, comprising the state commissioner of police, the brigade commander, the state director of the SSS over the security breach in the state.

Police spokesman in the state, Abdullahi Kiyawa, declined to comment on arrest of the two APC local government chairmen with guns when our reporter sought the reaction of the police on the matter.

But in a surprising twist, the police later paraded 85 thugs and excluded the local government chairmen.

“Recalled that on 22/02/2023 reports were received that, three (3) Political Parties namely; the All Progressive Congress (APC), People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), planned to hold political rallies/processions on Thursday, 23/02/2023 within Kano metropolis,” Mr Kiyawa said in the statement.

“On receipt of the reports, and the likelihood of clashes and attacks on innocent citizens, the Commissioner of Police for the 2023 General Election, Kano State Command, CP Muhammad Yakubu immediately summoned the representatives of the three political parties to an emergency meeting to find a solution to the impasse. Unfortunately, there was no headway with their planned rallies/processions. The Commissioner of Police passionately appealed to the consciousness of the representatives that this is not in the best interest of the fragile security of the state. In view of this, the three political parties were advised to postpone the planned rallies/procession.

“Today, 23/02/2023, clearance operations conducted by Joint Teams of security agencies after reported clashes led to the arrest of Eighty-Five (85) suspects that claimed to be of different Political Parties and the recovery of dangerous weapons. An investigation is in progress.”