Kwara State Police Command has said that it has identified the perpetrators of the destruction of billboards, banners and posters of candidates of political parties in the state but is yet to arrest them.

The PUNCH gathered that some political thugs suspected to be loyal to the opposition party on Saturday vandalised campaign posters belonging to candidates of the ruling All Progressives Congress in Ode Alausa, in Ilorin, the state capital.

The thugs who went on a rampage allegedly razed down all the APC billboards and reportedly pounced on passersby and innocent residents, leaving many people with varying degrees of injuries.

Sources said that many of the victims were hospitalized after suffering damage to their bodies.

Police Public Relations Officer in the state Command, SP Ajayi Okasanmi, however, told The PUNCH correspondent in Ilorin on Sunday that no arrest has yet to be made.

Okasanmi who confirmed the destruction of the billboards and banners in the state said that the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Paul Odama frowned at the incident and advised political party leaders to call their supporters to order.

He said, “Intelligence available to the Command has revealed the identities of the perpetrators.

“For the umpteenth time, the Commissioner of Police, Kwara State Police Command, CP Paul Odama, psc(+) is advising political parties leaders to call their supporters to order to stop the destructions, defacements of Bill-boards, banners and posters belonging to the opposing political parties.

“This warning is not limited to any particular political party, but to all political parties.

“The good people of Kwara State are assured of their safety at all times and the determination of the officers and men of the command to prosecute anyone arrested for violating this order.

“This Press Release stands as the last warning by the Command to hoodlums to either drop their lawless ways or pack their bags and relocate from Kwara State or face the consequences of their lawlessness as the Command has the full capacity to deal decisively with any form of criminality, please,” the police said.