Ahead of the Saturday's Governorship and House of Assembly elections in Enugu State, a combined crack team of security agencies has arrested 14 political thugs with arms in some local government areas of the state.
The thugs who were arrested on Saturday, in Isi-Uzo and Igbo-Eze North local government areas, SaharaReporters gathered, were deployed to the council headquarters to unleash mayhem during the Saturday's elections.
A reliable source told SaharaReporters that the armed thugs were arrested at the governor's lodge in Ikem in Isi-Uzo local government headquarters and Chairman's Lodge in Igbo-Eze North council headquarters respectively.
While the 10 thugs were allegedly arrested in the lodge with guns, four arrested in Igbo-Eze North Chairman's residence had no gun as their leader identified as one Onyebuchi had escaped with the guns before the crack investigation team led by personnel of the Nigeria military arrived.
The source revealed that manhunt of the fleeing leader of the criminal political thugs had been launched.
Meanwhile, the source revealed that chairmen of Isi-Uzo, Udenu, Igbo-Eze North and Igbo-Eze South were invited for questions on Sunday and had been asked to come back on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively.
The four council chairmen have also been indicted for sponsoring the group.
According to source, "The father of one of the council chairmen confirmed to me that his son had been invited for questions at the State Criminal Investigation Department, police headquarters."
He added, "The arrest of the political thugs, most of them imported from Anambra State was sequel to an investigation report by one of the Nigeria's intelligence agency. That report indicted the four local government chairmen and the state governor that they were using thugs. So they (security agency) went to Isi-Uzo arrested 10 persons at the governor's Lodge.
"They went to Igbo-Eze North they arrested some of them from the local government chairman's lodge in Ogurute. Their leader escaped with all the guns shared to them. In Isi-Uzo they arrested some of them with guns. The suspects were taking to the police headquarters and governor is reportedly making efforts to get them released.
"However, yesterday (Sunday) I confirmed that the four LGAs chairmen indicted by the report are Isi-Uzo, Udenu, Igbo-Eze North and Igbo-Eze South. The report also revealed where they buy all the high caliber guns and ammo but I don't have much details on that one.
"The state government applied to be allowed to buy guns for the Forest Guards and Neighbourhood watch. It is that approval now that they diverted to political thugs to suppress the forthcoming elections instead of handing the guns to Neighbourhood Watch members. As of yesterday (Sunday) the military has invited the chairman of Igbo-Eze North LGA for questions."
Efforts to get reaction of the State Police Command on the arrests were unsuccessful.
Meanwhile, a statement by the State Police Public Relations Officer DSP Daniel Ndukwe, said, “The CP cautions political actors and their supporters to maintain peace and desist from making provocative utterances that are capable of heating up the polity and truncating the immutable quest of the police, working with other security agencies and peace-loving citizens, to achieve a more peaceful and credible Gubernatorial and State House of Assembly Elections in the State, come Saturday, 18th March, 2023.
"He, therefore, states in strong terms that the Police will not stand idly by and watch any person or group of persons act in the contrary."