BY GBENGA ARIYIBI

ADO EKITI — AHEAD of the June 21 governorship election in Ekiti State, the police command yesterday said it arrested three members of a political party for gun-running and illegal possession of firearms.

According to the state  Commissioner Police, Mr. Felix Uyanna, the suspects were arrested at  Ikere Ekiti  at about 6.30pm on Tuesday following a tip-off.

Uyanna said the case was reported to the police by some concerned citizens after hearing a gunshot. “Some members of the public heard a gunshot and alerted the police. My men after getting there raided the place and arrested the three men,” he said.

Some of the items recovered from them, according to Uyanna, included four rifles  and charms

He said the suspects were presently being detained at the Criminal Investigations Department  at the Police headquarters in Ado Ekiti.

According to him,  a driver working with Ilejemeje Local Government was among those arrested, saying the bus bearing the number plate of the council  had been impounded by his men.

The Commissioner said the suspects and others at large, including their alleged sponsors would soon be charged to court after investigation, stressing that his men were now on the trail of those now at large, saying; “They were about eight or nine in number that committed the offence. We were able to arrest these three but we will get the rest arrested soon.”

Meanwhile, the Ayodele Fayose Campaign organization has urged the police to resist alleged pressure  to effect the  release of a chieftain of a political party arrested for alleged gun-running.

The Director General of the organisation, Dipo Anisulowo, at a briefing in Ado Ekiti, addressed by his deputy insisted that the police  must treat the suspect as robber, having  been arrested with dangerous weapon, saying; “This case must not end like past murder cases of which the suspects are now moving free ly because we are aware of the pressure of the Commissioner of Police to release him.

“There is serious arm build-up in the state. The aim is to create tension and destabilise the state, so that the people will not come to vote and create room for rigging but we want to state that violence will not win this election for anybody.

”What we learnt is that there is a grand design by a party to spread arms to political thugs in all the 16 councils. They have recruited thugs, purchased guns to unleash violence on innocent citizens,” he said.