Police and military authorities on Thursday, confirmed that 1,119 persons were arrested in connection with electoral offences during the Feb. 23 and March 9 elections across the country.
Police Spokesman, ACP Frank Mba, made this known in Abuja at a joint news briefing by spokespersons of the police and the military at Defence Headquarters.
Giving the breakdown, Mba said that 796 suspects were apprehended during the Governorship and Hose of Assembly elections, while 323 were nabbed during the Presidential and National Assembly polls.
Mba spoke on behalf of Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, Acting Director, Defence Information (DDI) and his counterparts of the Army, Navy and Air Force.
He said that 256 were arrested in Akwa Ibom, 117 in Imo and 109 in Kaduna State.
According to him, as investigation proceeds, this number may either shrink or increase as the case may be.
“Some of the suspects may eventually be released without charge, while some of them may implicate or make statements that require us to make further arrests.
“So, this number is not sacrosanct,’’ Mba said.
He explained that the briefing was to “shed light on certain security challenges witnessed’’ during all the elections “before the supplementary elections.”
