The leader of the Igbo community in the Ibashe riverine area of Lagos State, Eze Chinedu Mozie, was detained by the police in Lagos after he challenged thugs for not allowing Igbos in the community to vote in the just-ended gubernatorial and House of Assembly elections was among 12 suspects paraded, yesterday for electoral offences by the police at the State Criminal Investigations and Intelligence Department, SCIID, Panti, Yaba.

This came after the Supreme Council of Ndi Eze Igbo in Lagos, raised alarm over the continued detention of the leader in police custody for insisting on exercising his franchise with other Igbos in the community leading to his being manhandled by thugs wielding dangerous weapons and later arrested by the police.

Parading the suspects at SCIID, Panti, Yaba, spokesman of the command, Benjamin Hundeyin said they were arrested at Mushin, Ojo and Aswani areas of the state and 114 PVCs, two ballot boxes, one BVAS machine and three ballot papers were recovered from them.

He gave their names as Chisom Kalu, Charity Hannah, Mike Nwokehia, Elizabeth Adenike, Joseph Agada, Sunday Awnunu, Omaji Oyegwra and Okeke Chinyere.

He said the Igbo leader, Uche Mozie was arrested on March 18, 2023, at about 1.30 p.m., at Ibashe town while voting was in progress.

According to him, Uche Chinedu allegedly came to the polling unit in accompany of his men and attempted to carry the ballot box. It resulted in a serious argument in the community and he used an object, suspected to be an animal horn to injure some people at the polling unit. He was arrested, while the victims were hospitalised.

Hundeyin also said Sunday Awnunu was arrested in Badagry for conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace and unlawful possession of electoral materials on March 18, 2023, at 2.27p.m., when Awnunu came to Idale town hall polling unit to disrupt the electoral process.

“He was arrested by the police and 16 pieces of electoral papers (specimen) with 19 pieces of designed form that contained names and account numbers at the polling unit.

“Okeke Chinyere was arrested for unlawful possession of electoral material suspected to be fake, on March 16, 2023, at about 2.20 p.m. She was arrested with an INEC identity card (tag) for election duty within Ipaja area of Lagos State and she claimed to have printed the tag from one James Akintola printing office in Ipaja.

“Recovered from him were 16 pieces of electoral papers (specimen), 19 pieces of designed form that contained name and account numbers at the polling unit.”

He said during the counting and sorting of ballot papers at the polling unit, Omaji Kenneth threatened INEC officials to upload the election result while the INEC official complained of poor network.

“In the process, Omaji Oyegwra assaulted the police officer at the polling unit, including the INEC official.The suspects involved in unlawful possession of PVC/Diversion of sensitive electoral materials will be handed over to INEC for prosecution.”

Another suspect identified as Animashaun Kabiru who was arrested in the Sabo area in Lagos was paraded for unlawful possession of firearms. (Vanguard)