Bye-Election: Police Arrest 47 Armed Suspects at Bauchi Polling Units

The Bauchi State Police Command has arrested 47 people allegedly posing as operatives of a state-owned security outfit during the bye-election in Disina State Constituency, Shira Local Government Area.

The suspects were arrested on Saturday, September 19, 2026, after police officers deployed for election security found them at polling units allegedly carrying guns, cutlasses and sticks.

According to the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Nafiu Habib, the arrests followed an earlier directive prohibiting state-owned security outfits, quasi-security agencies, private security guards and vigilante groups from participating in election security operations.

The police said only security agencies recognised under the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) were authorised to provide security during the bye-election.

The suspects were taken into custody, while firearms and other dangerous weapons were recovered from them.

The Commissioner of Police, Bauchi State Command, CP Sani-Omolori Aliyu, described the incident as a violation of lawful directives and directed that the suspects be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Bauchi for investigation and possible prosecution.

The police reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining peace and security during the bye-election and warned that anyone found attempting to disrupt the electoral process would face legal action.

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