The Niger state police command says it has arrested six persons suspected to have been involved in the stoning of Gov. Abubakar Bello in Bida town on Thursday, March 8.
Mr Dibal Yakadi, the Commissioner of Police in Niger, confirmed the arrests in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Minna on Wednesday.
Bello had gone to assess the damage on Bida Old Market, which was burnt on March 1 and to sympathise with traders affected by the incident.
On the occasion, some youths booed the governor and pelted his official vehicle with stones.
The night fire destroyed 900 shops and the governor donated N20 million to the fire victims to help lessen their pains.
Yakadi said the police had commenced investigation to establish those who sponsored the action.
”As soon as we finished our investigation the suspects will be charged to court,” he said.
Yakadi said the command would not tolerate any act capable of disturbing the peace of the state and warned the people, especially the youth, to desist from all forms of political violence and thuggery.
The commissioner charged the youth not to allow themselves to be used as agents of destruction as anyone caught would be made to face the law.
” We will ensure diligent prosecutions of all those involved so as to serve as a lesson for others who are thinking in the same direction,” he said.
Yakadi said the command had already taken proactive security measures to deal with any form of security threat to peace in the state.
