Ben Ezechime, Enugu
Gallant men of the Nigerian Army late Friday night stormed New Carolina Hotel in Nsukka and arrested about 40 heavily armed mercenaries who were obviously hired by politicians to intimidate voters in Nsukka and environs during Saturday’s Governorship and House of Assembly elections.
The thugs, who were found with sophisticated weapons, were still held as of midnight inside the hotel owned and being run by a former chairman of Nsukka Local Government Area on the platform of the ruling PDP.
Ikengaonline gathered that the soldiers, who acted on a tip off, searched the suspects and found AK-47 and pump action rifles on them.
A security source confirmed that the thugs were fully fortified with charms and other dangerous weapons.
“However, some of the thugs, who were allegedly brought in from Kogi State, escaped from the hotel on Obollo Road, Obukpa, near the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
It would be recalled that following reports and threats of violence during the elections by the various political groups a joint force of the army, police and other security operatives had issued warnings against acts of violence during the polls and threatened to deal with offenders.
Last week, the security operatives had swooped on armed hoodlums at Igbo-Eze North LGA and arrested some of them.
A few days ago, armed thugs were also arrested at Ikem in Isi-Uzo LGA. In both cases, the chairmen of the local governments were allegedly implicated by investigations.
The joint tax force had also banned movement of vehicles from noon to 6pm except for electoral officials and other people engaged in essential services.
