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Police Confirm Arrest of 120 Electoral Offenders Nationwide, Recovery of Weapons

Published

7 years ago

February 27, 2019

Eric

One hundred and twenty people involved in various electoral offences were arrested by the Nigeria Police Force during the February 23, 2019 Presidential and National Assembly elections across the country.

ACP Frank Mbah, the Force Public Relations Officers, disclosed this on Wednesday in a live radio programme, “Police Diary” monitored in Enugu; noting that 38 various Improvised Explosive Device IED-making materials were equally recovered during the polls.

According to Mba, recovery of those weapons largely helped the police to control the security across the country during the election.

ACP Mbah explained that the recovered IED-making materials were reasons explosions were not experienced anywhere in the South-West, South-South, South-East and North Central parts of Nigeria.

“That massive interception by Delta State Police Command actually help us to nip in the bud, various dangerous things that could have occurred, probably we would have had a lot of problems on our hands during the elections; but thankfully that interception was made,” he said.

While he said that investigation had commenced to unravel the circumstances or individuals behind the development, ACP Mbah assured that the police would ensure that all those who violated the electoral act would be diligently prosecuted.

“What I want to assure Nigerians this time around is that they will see clear cases of diligent prosecution of electoral offenders. We need to begin to take measures and take actions that will send a strong message out there that election offences are serious offences and that when you commit electoral offences you will not go scot-free. That is the only way we can begin to stamp out impunity gradually,” he promised.

“We had cases where very senior police officers were attacked amounting to serious assault and we also want to send a very strong message out there that you can not attack a police officer or any other law enforcement agent for that matter and go free.

“Nigerians need to support us in this regard if we must continue to defend Nigeria. Nigerians owe us a duty to also defend us and everyone that participated in that condemnable act involving the attack on a very senior police officer in Bayelsa State will be held to account.

“We didn’t record any situation where law enforcement agents turn their guns on the people, we didn’t record incidences of accidental discharge, we didn’t record incidences of excessive use of force by law enforcement agencies. I think these are areas we must be given kudos to, we were able to protect all election observers,” Mbah disclosed.

The Punch

Featured

Tinubu Nominates Oyedele As Minister of State for Finance, Moves Anite-Uzoka to Budget Ministry

Published

15 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Eric

A statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy Bayo Onanuga, has announced that “President Bola Tinubu has nominated Taiwo Oyedele as the minister of state for finance, replacing Doris Anite-Uzoka.

“Mrs Anite-Uzoka will now move to the Ministry of Budget and National Planning, as the Minister of State, her third portfolio in the administration.

“President Tinubu has today conveyed the nomination of Mr Oyedele to the Senate for confirmation in a letter to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.

“Until President Tinubu nominated him as a minister, Mr Oyedele from Ikaram, Akoko, Ondo State, was the chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, which overhauled Nigeria’s tax system.

“Mr Oyedele, 50, is an economist, accountant and public policy expert.

“He attended Yaba College of Technology, where he obtained a Higher National Diploma (HND) in accountancy and finance. He attended Oxford Brookes University and earned a BSc in applied accounting.

“He also completed executive education programmes at the London School of Economics, Yale University, the Gordon Institute of Business Science, and the Harvard Kennedy School.

“Mr Oyedele spent 22 years of his working career at PwC, joining in 2001 and rising to become the Fiscal Policy Partner and Africa Tax Leader.

“Mr Oyedele is also a professor at Babcock University in Ogun State and a visiting scholar at the Lagos Business School.”

Featured

Defection: Atiku’s Son, Adamu, Resigns As Adamawa Commissioner

Published

20 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Eric

Adamu Abubakar, the first son of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, has resigned as Adamawa State’s commissioner for works and energy development, days after Governor Ahmadu Fintiri defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress.

Abubakar’s resignation letter, dated 2 March 2026, was addressed to the governor through the Secretary to the State Government. He gave no reason for his departure.

The timing is pointed. Fintiri announced his defection to the APC in a statewide broadcast last Friday, saying his cabinet and the PDP’s state structure had moved with him. Within 24 hours, 22 commissioners and special advisers publicly announced they were following suit. Abubakar, whose father remains one of the PDP’s most prominent national figures, was not among them.

In a statement issued Monday night, Abubakar’s media aide Abdulaziz Jauro said the former commissioner thanked the governor for the opportunity to serve and pledged continued loyalty to the administration’s developmental agenda. He also expressed gratitude to his father “for granting him the moral support and blessing to serve the people of Adamawa State” — a line that, read in context, suggests Atiku was consulted on the decision.

Abubakar said his resignation was not a withdrawal from public life. “This does not mark the end of his commitment to public service,” the statement read, “but rather the beginning of new avenues for developmental collaboration.”

The resignation leaves unresolved the question of whether it reflects a political break with the governor over his defection or a personal decision unconnected to the broader party realignment now reshaping Adamawa’s political landscape.

Featured

DSS Nabs Man over Assassination Attempt on Peter Obi

Published

22 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Eric

Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS) has detained a man in connection with the recent attack and alleged assassination threats targeting Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

According to AIT, the shooting incident took place on February 24, 2026, in Benin City, Edo State, during a political gathering attended by Obi and several figures from the African Democratic Congress (ADC). The meeting was hosted by former APC National Chairman, John Oyegun. Gunmen reportedly opened fire at the venue, causing panic and forcing attendees to disperse for safety.

According to security sources, shortly after the attack, an individual identified as Udeme Monday Stephen allegedly took to social media claiming responsibility and issuing additional threats against Obi, warning of further violence.

Intelligence officials reportedly initiated swift investigations, employing digital tracing and forensic tools that led to the arrest of the 26-year-old suspect in Rivers State. He is said to be a teacher at a private secondary school in the Eliozu area of Obio-Akpor Local Government Area.

The suspect remains in DSS custody and is expected to face prosecution. The agency reiterated its commitment to responding to credible threats and safeguarding lives and national interests without bias.