by Adeola Balogun

According to the Imo Police Command, it has apprehended 180 persons for illegal possession of electoral materials ahead of the Anambra polls.

The suspects were found with voters cards, Independent National Electoral Commission identity cards and Independent Observer identity cards.

Details of the arrest were revealed to newsmen by the state Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Katsina during a briefing yesterday.

Eagle Online reports:

Katsina said that two pump action rifles, live ammunition, 15 buses and other incriminating materials were recovered from the persons.

He said that the persons, who came from Osun State, were heading to Anambra State ahead of Saturday’s governorship elections.

Katsina said: “They were arrested while waiting to link up with their contacts in Anambra.
“The suspects were on a mission to breach the peace in the state and will be prosecuted.
“The security agents and the command had worked so hard to attain peace and will not allow any politician, no matter how highly placed, to compromise it.”

One of the suspects, Salawo Ayodele, denied the alleged intent to rig the Anambra State election.
Ayodele said they were members of an independent election monitoring body called ‘Equity and Justice’ and that they had merely planned to go and observe the election.

He added that they were given N10,000 each as allowance for their feeding during their stay in Anambra State.