The Kano State Police Command has arrested no fewer than 288 thugs with dangerous weapons at the four local government areas where the bye-election is currently going on.

The Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Abdullahi Haruna, confirmed the arrest of the suspects in a telephone interview with The Punch on Saturday.

“As at 1pm today (Saturday), 288 thugs were apprehended with dangerous weapons in the local government areas where the bye-election is going,” Haruna said.

He said the suspects were arrested for allegedly attempting to disrupt the bye-election.

“Items recovered from the suspects included one pump-action gun, four locally made guns, a number of cutlasses, sticks, bow and arrow, knives, catapult, among other dangerous weapons,” he said.

Meanwhile, hundreds of armed thugs were rounded up by the Security at Bagwai town as they attempted to disrupt the ongoing elections into the State House of Assembly in the local government.

INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, Abdu Zango, confirmed to newsmen that the thugs were moving into Bagwai with their arms, but security operatives were on hand, and they rounded up and arrested them.

Although Zango expressed satisfaction with the security situation and the conduct of the election. He, however, said that some thugs that were rounded up in Shanono town nearly disrupted the movements of election materials, but security quickly came to the rescue of the situation.

He said Shanono was known to be traditionally a volatile area when it comes to elections, adding the reports we are getting are that things are going smoothly because of the heavy presence of security agents.