The Bauchi State Police Command on Saturday announced the arrest of 47 armed persons found around some polling units in Disina State Constituency during the State House of Assembly bye-election.
This was disclosed in a statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Nafiu Habib.
The suspects, who claimed to be members of state-owned security outfits, were arrested by police operatives deployed for election duty in Disina, Shira Local Government Area.
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Firearms and other dangerous weapons, including cutlasses and sticks, were recovered from the suspects.
The suspects were subsequently taken into police custody and are to be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Bauchi, for discreet investigation and prosecution in accordance with the law.
The Commissioner of Police, Sani-Omolori Aliyu, condemned what he described as a blatant disregard for lawful directives and an attempt to undermine the electoral process.
The command said the arrest was made despite an earlier warning that state-owned security outfits, quasi-security agencies, private security guards and vigilante groups were not permitted to participate in election security coverage.
According to the command, only statutorily recognised security agencies under the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) are mandated to provide security for elections.
The command reiterated its commitment to ensuring a peaceful, credible and hitch-free bye-election, warning that any person or group, regardless of status, who attempts to disrupt the electoral process or cause a breach of peace will be dealt with in accordance with the law.
It also urged members of the public to remain law-abiding and report suspicious activities to the police.