Lagos guber: Police, INEC to arraign six for electoral offences

The Lagos police command says six out of 19 persons arrested during the gubernatorial election in the state will be prosecuted for alleged electoral offences.

NAN reports that Benjamin Hundeyin, Lagos police spokesperson, spoke on Tuesday while parading the suspects and others at the state criminal investigation department (SCID), Panti, Yaba.

Hundeyin said the suspects were involved in 21 cases including attacks on Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials, vandalism, and ballot box snatching.

Others are possession of fake INEC identity cards, conduct likely to cause a breach of peace, assault occasioning harm, and illegal possession of firearms.

He said that four of the suspects would be arraigned by INEC while two found with arms and also involved in other criminal acts would be arraigned by the police.

The police spokesperson said that other suspects paraded included two who were allegedly involved in violence at Abule-Ado in Amuwo-Odofin area of Lagos and a suspected cultist.

Hundeyin said that two other suspects allegedly stole a truck parked by its driver which was carrying a brand new car belonging to the U.S. embassy in Lagos.

He said the suspects were arrested while trying to sell off the truck with the car at the cost of about N5 million.

“The truck will be handed over to the U.S. Embassy, while the suspects will be charged to court,” he said.

He also said that three suspected kidnappers who allegedly confessed to having collected about N20.7 million ransom from victims were also paraded.

Hundeyin said that two suspected robbers who used a Lagos commercial bus to rob prospective passengers were paraded.

He said the suspects allegedly stole the victims’ phones with a view to using the SIM cards to buy credit or transfer the money in the victims’ accounts.

The police spokesperson advised members of the public to always lock their SIM cards as the suspects confessed that they were unable to use such cards.

Hundeyin said the suspects would be charged in court at the completion of their investigations.