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Armed police and soldiers close down the stadium in Niger State to prevent a rally for Tinubu and Shettima
On Tuesday, intimidating security personnel blocked the entrance to the New Bussa Township Stadium in the Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State, preventing a scheduled political gathering.
According to information obtained by The Site News, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, the deputy chief whip of the Senate, had planned a gathering to support Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Senator Kassim Shettima, the APC’s vice presidential nominee.
The event was also planned to promote the APC governorship candidate in Niger State, Hon. Umar Bago and his running mate, Comrade Yakubu Garba.
The event billed for 11am could however not proceed as planned because the security operatives locked and barricaded the entrance and turned back journalists and supporters who arrived at the venue as early as 8.30am.
According to a report by The Nation, two trucks of heavily armed Mobile Policemen were stationed at the gate of the stadium while regular policemen locked the gates and prevented supporters from gaining entrance.
Three pickup vans mounted with guns and filled with heavily armed men of the Nigerian Army were also seen patrolling around the stadium.
A Police operative was quoted to have told newsmen off record that the order to lock the stadium came from higher authorities.
However, speaking on the development, Niger State Police spokesman, DSP Wasiu Abiodun, said the event was stopped from going on due to fears of a security breach based on credible intelligence available to them.
In his words, “The Police had to take over the venue of the planned rally, as a proactive measure due to intelligence received of likely breach of security at the venue.
“Hence, we have to do the needful to avert any possible attack or hijack by suspected miscreants to cause mayhem and breach of peace in the community.
“The Command will not fold its arms and allow act of political violence, avoidable loss of life, destruction of properties and lawlessness.”
Some unconfirmed reports have it that the order to stop the rally was given by Governor Sani Abubakar Bello but at the time of filing this report, neither the Governor nor Senator Abdullahi had reacted officially to the development.
