Heavily Armed Soldiers, Policemen Lock Stadium, Prevent Tinubu-Shettima Rally In Niger State

Fierce-looking security operatives on Tuesday barricaded the entrance to the New Bussa Township Stadium in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State and prevented a planned political rally from taking place.

Naija News gathered that the Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi had organized a rally expected to hold at the venue to promote the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his running mate, Senator Kassim Shettima.

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.