The Lagos State Police Command has confirmed that five out of 23 persons arrested during the Presidential and National Assembly elections would be arraigned for electoral offences.
This came as the command reassured the electorate of optimal security at the governorship and state House of Assembly elections on Saturday.
The suspects, according to the command, were nabbed in connection with the destruction of electoral materials, and ballot box snatching, among others.
The command’s spokesman, Benjamin Hundeyin, while responding to inquiries from Vanguard, said: “During preliminary investigation, only five suspects out of the 23 arrested have cases to answer in court for allegedly disrupting the electoral process in the just concluded Presidential and National Assembly elections held on 25 February 2023.
“They will be charged to court any moment from now for disrupting the electoral process. Their investigations have been concluded. The rest were just victims of circumstances,” he added.
Meanwhile, assuring Lagosians of maximum safety during Saturday’s polls, state Commissioner of Police, Idowu Owohunwa said: “The command has fully deployed its human and operational resources in conjunction with sister security agencies to ensure free, fair, and credible elections. Voters are, therefore, encouraged to come out to exercise their franchise and not succumb to the panic tactics of a few unpatriotic elements masquerading as concerned and well-intentioned Nigerians on social media.
“It is equally imperative to warn against mischief around the polling units and collation centers and beyond, as anyone found culpable will be promptly arrested and dealt with”.
