Date: 2019-02-16

Garba Madami, Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in Kwara State has said youths suspected to be political thugs have been arrested ahead of Saturday elections in the State.

Madami disclosed this on Friday during a press conference on INEC's preparedness for Saturday election.

He said the raid on the thugs by the law enforcement agents was an action that would continue during and after the elections.

According to him, the raid and arrest was part of measures to prevent violence in the state.

Madami said, "I got reports that we raided areas where thugs are hiding in Kwara. The action will continue during and after elections because we have another election coming up on the 2nd of March, and we need to take these thugs off the streets because it is not good to live in perpetual fear in any environment."

He also said the commission had trained security men on how to be civil and professional in their service during the elections.

"A few days ago, we also trained them on the risks and how to anticipate violence," he said.

Madami said the state was made up of 193 registration areas (wards), 1,872 polling units and 1,015 voting points totaling 2,887.

He disclosed that all sensitive and non-sensitive materials had been dispatched to all the local government areas offices.

“All electoral staff needed for the exercise have been sourced as directed by the INEC headquarters.

"I must state here and categorically that ballot papers have been dispatched in the full glare of political party agents, security agencies and the gentlemen of the press to all the local government area offices," Madami said.

He also said that a total of 2,887 smart card readers had been upgraded, fully charged and deployed to the fields with necessary contingency.