The Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Lagos State Police Command on Saturday arrested five men with incriminating materials in Ikeja, as the local government elections got underway. This was even as heavy rains in many parts of the state delayed the commencement of the election process in some local government councils.

The spokesman for the command, ASP Olarinde Famous-Cole, confirmed the arrest to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

Famous-Cole said that the suspects, who claimed to be agents to a political party, were arrested with incriminating materials at 8.30a.m.

“They have been handed over to the Area F Command, which will send them to the special team for election crimes at the state Criminal Investigation Department for further investigations,” he said.

Meanwhile, security agencies, including the police, military, Security and Civil Defence Corps and Immigration, have deployed their personnel to strategic locations in different parts of Lagos to ensure peaceful local government elections.

A senior police officer who sought anonymity on the Funso Williams Avenue in Surulere, where security men put barricades, told NAN that the area command observed that some residents were flouting the restriction order.

He, however, gave the assurance that those with genuine reasons would be allowed to continue their journey.

Heavy rains, however, contributed towards the restriction of movement. The downpour, which began at 5am in many parts of the state, left many areas flooded and affected early commencement of voting in the local government polls.

The rain, accompanied with thunderstorms, lasted for more than two hours, confining many residents to their apartments, until it later subsided.

The flooding of the roads compelled road users to drive against traffic in some areas as people rushed to beat the 7a.m. restriction of movement time.

At major polling units in Agege, there were no signs of electoral officers as at 8am local time.

In the Mushin, Oshodi and Isolo parts of the state activities were yet to kick off in most of the areas visited as at the time of filing this report.

Sensitive materials were seen being distributed at the local government secretariats visited, a situation that might have also been responsible for the late arrival of LASIEC officials in most of the polling units in the areas visited.

NAN reports that the movement restriction began at 7.00am. It will end at 3.00pm.

Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission is conducting Chairmanship and Councillorship elections in its 20 local government areas and 37 local council development areas.

Twelve political parties are participating the election.

They are: Accord Party (AP), Action Alliance (AA), Alliance for Democracy ( AD ), All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP ), Labour Party (LP) and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

The others are United Democratic Party (UDP), United Progressive Party (UPP), Kowa Party (KP), National Action Council (NAC) and Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM).

•Based on NAN and TVC News reports.

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