The Assistant Director Public Relations, 22 Armoured Brigade, Nigerian Army, Sobi Cantonment, Ilorin, Augustine Bello, on Sunday, said soldiers arrested three persons in Offa, Kwara State, with pistols.
In a telephone interview with our correspondent, he said the suspects were arrested at a restaurant close to the residence of the candidate for the Action Congress of Nigeria in the forthcoming local government election in state, Mr. Saheed Popoola.
Popoola was the chairman of the Offa LG before his election was nullified by election petitions tribunal.
Bello said the suspects had been handed over to the police for further investigation.
He said, “Our personnel arrested three men at a restaurant close to the former Offa LG Chairman’s residence. They caught them with pistols. They have been handed over to the police for further investigation.
“We are confirming that we arrested those men with weapons and we handed them over to the police for further investigation.”
But Popoola said the suspects, who he alleged were thugs of the Peoples Democratic Party, had come to attack him.
The former council chairman, who alleged that, 10 gunmen had waylaid him at a restaurant in Offa, added that they arrived the restaurant about 7pm on Friday and challenged anyone belonging to the ACN for a fight.
He further alleged that the gunmen shot sporadically into the air and brandished dangerous weapons like broken bottles.
Popoola said three of them were arrested by soldiers, who he said, had been placed on the alert.
Those arrested, according to him, are Kabiru Oluaye, Musiliu Olarinoye, and Lukman Ariwajoye.
Last Wednesday, some suspected PDP thugs had reportedly attacked and injured two ACN leaders from Offa, Omooba Akorede and Murtala Taofeeq.
The incident occurred at Isale Offa and Ita Erin, in Offa.
Popoola said, “Following the incidents of Wednesday and the fact that we have long suspected that PDP’s failure to gain support in Offa might see them resort to underhand tactics, I have tipped off some security men, including soldiers in Offa about the activities of the PDP thugs.”
But the Offa Chairman of the PDP, Mr. Goke Rabiu denied that the suspects were members of the PDP.
He said PDP did not encourage violence.