The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has reported a ‘major breakthrough’ in its efforts to tackle electoral violence in Edo State, arresting two political thugs during overnight raids just hours before Saturday’s governorship election

The Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, in a statement on Saturday morning, gave the names of the suspects as Edwin Obanor, 43, and Audu Tajudeen, a 41-year-old ‘PDP member’ from Ugbogbo quarters, Igara Akoko area of the State.

“Acting on a tip-off that some individuals had been armed to cause mayhem and dist@bility during the election on Saturday, the police operatives swooped into action and apprehended Obanor, a leader of an arm£d group, at Oredo Ward 4 at about 9pm and Audu Tajudeen at Igara Akoko, Edo, on the eve of the election.

Upon searching the bags in their possession, three cut-to-size locally fabricated pistols were discovered on Obanor, while one locally-made g¥n was recovered from Tajudeen,” the statement reads in part.