Abuja, Nigeria - No fewer than 448 persons have so far been arrested by the police in connection with the sectarian crises that rocked some states of the federation last week.
This was disclosed in Abuja yesterday by the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Sunday Ehindero . Crises arising from the cartoon controversies first broke out in Katsina and later spread to other northern states including Gombe, Borno, Niger, Bauchi, sparking off reprisal attacks in Anambra State.
Speaking at an interactive session with senior police officers including the Commissioners of Police of the 36 states of the federation and Abuja in his office Ehindero said the police would "deal with suspects according to the laws of the land."
"Those arrested for having participated or contributed in the riot in all the affected states would be prosecuted diligently. It's not going to be a case of being granted a bail anyhow," he said. He lamented the wanton destruction left at the wake of the riots, noting that, "we are in a country with rule of law. We will use all the due process of law to ensure that justice is done. If you see how the riot started in some places, its so pathetic."
He disclosed that 10 people were arrested in Anambra, 20 in Niger, nine in Enugu, 205 in Borno and 116 in Yobe.
Also, 33 persons were arrested in Katsina, 48 in Bauchi and 22 in Gombe.
"People should not just get up and start killing other people because of some cartoon that were printed in Europe. The rioters must be made to face the full wrath of law.
I will mobilise Police lawyers to make sure they are prosecuted, especially as the Supreme Court recently ruled that Police can prosecute suspects in any court of law in Nigeria."
Ehindero commended all the Commissioners of Police of the 36 states and Abuja for guaranteeing that the crises did not spread to other areas."