The Police Command in Akwa Ibom State has said that 20 people were arrested for various electoral offences during the Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly elections.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Gabriel Achong, made the disclosure when he briefed newsmen in Uyo on Monday.
Achong said that those arrested were currently being interrogated and would be charged to court after investigation.
He said those arrested included some mercenaries hired from outside the state with intent to foment trouble during the elections.
The commissioner said the command had recovered guns and charms concealed in bags of garri by the suspected hoodlums.
Achong said last Saturday’s elections were relatively peaceful.
He declined comments on the alleged killing of a person who attempted to snatch ballot box in Uyo.
Commenting on the All Progressives Congress protest on Monday calling for cancellation of the elections, Achong warned against such action in future.
According to him, the command will not tolerate such protest in the state.
The commissioner called on parents to dissuade their children from following any politician for protest.
“Any politician, who wants to protest, let him or her bring his children for the protest,” Achong said.
The APC supporters had protested to office of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Uyo, criticising the alleged irregularities noted in the elections.
The APC governorship candidate, Umana Okon Umana, who led the protest, said he could not vote in the elections because no result sheet was sent to his unit.
Umana said the position of his party was that the elections be cancelled and a fresh poll announced.
In another development, the APC in Akwa Ibom State has rejected the result of last Saturday’s elections in the state.
The APC agent, Ekong Ebienang, on Monday in Uyo refused to sign the result of the election as announced by the state Collation Officer, Prof. James Epoke, who is the Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar.
Ebienang had described the exercise as mere charade, defying all laid down guidelines and procedures for credible election.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the APC, led by the governorship candidate, had earlier protested to INEC office on Monday.