No fewer than 30 women including widows and Eight men of Nasarawa State were on Friday arrested by the Police for allegedly protesting the outcome of the Supreme Court judgement which affirmed Governor Abdullahi Sule as winner of the March 18, 2023 governorship election in the state.
Recall that the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, David Ombugadu had dragged Governor Sule of the All Progressives Congress to Court, challenging his 2023 election victory.
The Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal had on October 2, sacked the governor and declared Ombugadu as winner of the poll, but unsatisfied by the judgement, Sule approached the Appeal Court where he was announced as the actual winner of the election.
This, prompted Ombugadu to approach the Supreme Court for the final verdict on the matter.
Speaking on the development on Friday, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Ramhan Nansel, said apart from the 38 suspects arrested by the command, 29 motorcycles were recovered by its personnel during the protests which took place in Lafia, the state capital.
He further explained that the protesters were arrested because they violated a peace agreement recently reached by stakeholders of the APC and PDP in the state ahead of the Supreme Court judgement.
Nansel said, “The command has apprehended 38 suspects in connection to the protests and we have recovered 29 motorcycles.
“After the Supreme Court judgement, the protesters were agrieved and they blocked the roads, burning tires and thereby obstructing vehicular movements and disrupting business activities, that was why they were arrested.
“A total of 30 females and eight males were arrested. 29 motorcycles were also recovered.
“The suspects were immediately taken to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Lafia where an investigation was carried out and they were charged to Court for prosecution.
“The Court has remanded them in Prison custody pending their bail determination on Monday.”
While urging all residents of the state to go about their businesses without any fear, the PPRO assured that the Police was working in synergy with other sister security agencies to ensure that the entire 13 Local Government Areas of the state remains peaceful.
Meanwhile, investigation by our correspondent indicates that the 38 suspected protesters were charged before the Chief Magistrate Court III, Lafia by the Nasarawa State Police command.
When the matter was mentioned for hearing by the prosecuting counsel, Danjuma Allu, the Chief Magistrate, Mohammed Abdullahi Lanze reserved his ruling to Monday January 22, 2024.
However, the defendants counsel, Iliya Ashokpa pleaded the court to grant his clients bail but was not granted.
Our correspondent had reported that many roads in the state capital were blocked including the ever busy Lafia -Jos road due to series of protests by women groups who staged protests in Lafia after the verdict by the Supreme Court.
