A joint security force, comprising the military, police, SSS and NSCDC, has arrested the chairmen of Ungogo and Rimingado Local Government Areas of Kano State, Abdullahi Ramat and Munir Dahiru respectively with pistols.
A credible security source told DAILY NIGERIAN that the duo was arrested while leading armed thugs to attack the convoy of the presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, Rabiu Kwankwaso, along Zaria Road, Kano.
“The joint security force were on show of force when they encountered the chairmen leading the thugs. The security agents immediately disarmed the chairmen and arrested over 100 thugs laying ambush on the NNPP candidate.
“They are currently detained at the Criminal Investigation Department, and the joint security force is intensifying patrol in the city to bring all the criminals to book,” the source added.
Spokesman for Kano Police Command Abdullahi Kiyawa did not respond to DAILY NIGERIAN call and text message at the time of filing this report.
The police have earlier advised the political parties to shelve their rallies on Thursday to avoid clash, but all the parties insisted on exercising their rights to peaceful assembly.
In response to the police advisory, the NNPP said Mr Kwankwaso had completed his campaign tour of all the 36 states and Abuja without any incident anywhere in the country, and like other presidential candidates, he is coming home to vote.
“The campaign tour will be concluded today in Kaduna, and our candidate will be travelling home to Kano tomorrow, Thursday, 23rd February, in order to exercise his civic duty of voting in the upcoming general elections,” a letter addressed to the Kano State Police Commissioner Muhammad Yakubu.
“We are writing to you to draw your attention to a disturbing information we received in respect of a sinister plan being orchestrated by outgoing governor of Kano state, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and the outgoing director of DSS in Kano, Alhassan Muhammad who are organizing thugs to attack the motorcade of our presidential candidate. We are also aware that senior members of our party in the state are targets of the dastardly plan. We are therefore requesting you to kindly provide adequate security cover to the motorcade of our candidate from the Kano state border with Kaduna state to his residence at Miller Road, Kano.
“We are also seizing this opportunity to notify you and all authorities concerned that for any breach of the peace, Mr Ganduje and Mr Alhassan shall be held personally responsible.
Hon. Commissioner, you may wish to know that this director of DSS in Kano was due for retirement almost a year ago. But Mr Gandue bribed his way into getting him to be retained and kept in Kano so that he can do the hatchet job for him, again, during the 2023 general elections.”
