The Kano State Police Command has arrested 288 suspected political thugs who tried to disrupt the re-run and by-election process in Ghari/Tsanyawa and Bagwai/Shanono Constituency of Kano State.
Spokesperson of the command, Abdullahi Kiyawa, made this known in a statement made available to journalists on Saturday.
He said the thugs were intercepted with dangerous weapons including a pump action rifle, locally made guns, knives, and cutlasses, among others.
“As part of clearance operations spearheaded by the Kano State Inter-agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), a total of 288 suspected thugs were arrested on Saturday, 16th August, 2025, for various electoral offenses aimed at disrupting the election process.
“Exhibits recovered from the suspects include, one pump action rifle, four locally made guns, and dangerous weapond such as bows and arrows, cutlasses, knives, stones, catapults, clubs among others,” the statement said.
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While issuing a strong warning against any form of electoral manipulation, violence, and malpractice, Kiyawa said all the suspects are currently in police custody, and investigations are ongoing to identify their sponsors and collaborators.
He assured that all individuals found culpable shall be prosecuted in accordance with the law.
Earlier, our reporter observed a massive deployment of security personnel, including the police, civil defence and the road safety officers, along the route of Bagwai and Shanono who barricaded the entry of non-accredited persons to the area.
The Kano State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Ambassador Abdu Zango, while briefing journalists at the INEC local government headquarters at Bagwai, expressed satisfaction with the security arrangements.
He commended the efforts of the security agencies, noting that all areas earlier destabilised are being stabilised and the election process was ongoing peacefully.
He noted that although some areas witnessed late arrival of sensitive materials and disruption, most of the polling units commenced voting between 8.30 an and 9 am.
