Bye-Election Violence: 333 Political Thugs, Officials Arraigned in Kano, 10 Cultists Arrested in Ogun — Falana Links Chaos to Canadian Terror Ruling

The Nigeria Police have prosecuted 333 suspected political thugs, including serving government officials, arrested during violent attempts to disrupt bye-elections in Kano State over the weekend. Simultaneously, 10 suspected cultists were also arrested in Ogun State, reportedly plotting to sabotage elections in the area.

The wave of violence and arrests has drawn fierce criticism from prominent human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, who said the conduct of the elections validates a Canadian court’s ruling that described Nigeria’s two leading political parties—the APC and PDP—as terrorist organisations.

333 Suspects Arraigned in Kano

Speaking at a press briefing in Bompai, Commissioner of Police Ibrahim Adamu Bakori confirmed the arraignment of 333 suspects involved in violence across Ghari, Bagwai, and Shanono LGAs during the Saturday elections.

The suspects face various charges before Magistrate Courts 20, 27, 44 in Nomansland, and Courts 8 and 53 in Gyadi-Gyadi, including:

• Criminal conspiracy
• Possession of offensive weapons
• Snatching or destruction of election materials
• Intimidation and vote solicitation
• Loitering after voting
• Improper use of vehicles

“The suspects were massively imported from within and outside the state to disrupt the electoral process,” Bakori stated.

Weapons and Election Materials Recovered

The police also recovered a substantial cache of weapons and election items:

• 1 pump-action rifle, 5 locally-made guns
• 94 long sticks, 18 cutlasses, 16 swords
• 32 barandami weapons, 18 knives, 23 arrows, 7 catapults
• 2 ballot boxes, 163 thumb-printed ballot papers
• ₦4.048 million in cash allegedly intended for vote-buying
• 14 vehicles used during the operation

The Commissioner praised the work of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) and called on residents to see security as a shared responsibility.

Ogun: Cultists Hired to Disrupt Election

In Sagamu, Ogun State, operatives from the Zone 2 Police Command, Onikan, Lagos, arrested 10 members of the Aiye confraternity following a tip-off.

According to reports, the cultists had assembled in a local hotel on the eve of the election when AIG Adegoke Fayoade, on patrol, led detectives from the Dragon Unit to storm the venue. The suspects, who tried to flee, were apprehended and taken to Zone 2 Headquarters in Lagos for interrogation.

Police sources revealed that the group confessed to being brought in from Lagos by a serving Ogun State House of Assembly member, who promised large cash payments and access to sophisticated weapons to carry out electoral disruption.

Arrested Suspects in Ogun

The ten arrested individuals were identified as:

• Habeeb Mohammed
• Olaniyi Okesola
• Azeez Idowu
• Rasaki Taiwo
• Waheed Olugoroye
• Godwin Abode
• Ayobami Damilare
• Folarin Kabiru
• Ojelade Tobi
• Olanrewaju Sanni

“This breakthrough is a clear message to those who believe they can use thugs, cultists, or hired hands to intimidate voters. We will deal decisively with anyone, no matter how highly placed, who attempts to disrupt the peace,” said AIG Fayoade.

Falana: Violence Validates Canadian Court Ruling

Senior Advocate Femi Falana issued a statement linking the electoral violence to a recent Canadian Federal Court ruling, which classified Nigeria’s two dominant political parties—APC and PDP—as terrorist groups under Canadian law.

“The violence, vote-buying and thuggery that characterised the bye-elections conducted by INEC have further corroborated the finding of the Canadian court,” Falana said.

He referenced Justice Phuong Ngo’s dismissal of a Nigerian asylum case, in which the judge ruled that the APC and PDP had a documented history of electoral violence and democratic subversion, qualifying them as terrorist organisations.

Falana criticised the responses of the two parties, who had earlier dismissed the ruling as racist and mischievous, respectively, saying their reactions ignored the real issue: systemic violence and rigging.

“Elections are routinely rigged with the connivance of thugs, police, and soldiers. Citizens who resist are attacked or killed, and perpetrators are never prosecuted,” he argued.

He also condemned the federal government’s diplomatic protest against the ruling, warning that if upheld, the judgment could have international consequences, including:

• Visa bans
• Deportation of party members
• Asylum denials in other jurisdictions

Falana concluded by citing previous inflammatory remarks by Nigerian leaders as part of the problem, referencing:

• Obasanjo’s “do-or-die” comment
• Buhari’s “dog and baboon soaked in blood” warning
• Tinubu’s call to “snatch power” in the 2023 elections

As investigations continue, the widespread arrests and international implications of the violence have deepened calls for urgent electoral and political reforms to prevent Nigeria’s democracy from descending into what Falana calls “a legitimised culture of impunity.”