Police Arrest 84 Suspects Allegedly Causing Violence During APC

Some houses and vehicles were burnt in Epe, Lagos East, on Thursday, October 4, as political violence erupted following the killing of a supporter of one of the aspirants contesting to represent the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the House of Representatives election in 2019.

The Lagos state police command has said it arrested 84 persons allegedly involved in violence during the just concluded All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primaries in the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the state commissioner of police, Imohimi Edgal, told newsmen that the timely arrest of the hoodlums at various spots saved the state from what he described as 'destructive violence.’

NAIJ.com notes that the commissioner said: “I want to use this opportunity to thank Lagosians for conducting themselves peacefully during and after the recently concluded APC primaries which by all security indices was hugely successful.

“However, there were pockets of skirmishes in some parts of the state owing to the activities of thugs which were contained as soon as it began. In all, the command arrested a total of 84 thugs from various parts of the state."

In a similar development, 16 suspected hoodlums were arrested for damaging cars and looting shops at Ijora-Badia area of Lagos.

Edgal added: “On Friday Oct. 5, hoodlums armed with cutlasses and other dangerous weapons went about Ijora-Badia town damaging cars and looting shops along Gaskya Street/Ijora Oloye.

“However, operatives of the command led by CSP Indyar Apev rose to the occasion and arrested 16 of them at the scene.

“Exhibits recovered include cutlasses, large quantity of weeds suspected to be Indian hemp and alcoholic drinks popularly known as Skuchies."

The 30-year-old victim identified as Idris Alooma was shot by hoodlums who attacked a polling unit in Ward 4, after voting had taken place and party members were awaiting the declaration of the result.