By Taibat Ummi Yakubu

The Katsina State Police Command has arrested 14 suspects following an attack on an All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign convoy along the Yashi–Funtua road in Malumfashi Local Government Area.

The incident occurred at about 11:00 a.m. on October 28, when the convoy was travelling through Malumfashi to Funtua for a campaign flag-off, according to the police.

The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abubakar Sadiq-Aliyu, disclosed the arrests in a statement issued in Katsina on Thursday, saying suspected political thugs armed with knives and stones attacked the convoy and other vehicles on the road.

The attackers allegedly smashed the windscreens of several vehicles during the incident, while a female passenger travelling in a commercial vehicle sustained injuries.

Sadiq-Aliyu explained that the command had deployed security personnel along major routes, including the Yashi–Funtua road, ahead of the convoy’s movement to protect travellers and other road users.

He said officers stationed along the route responded swiftly to the attack, restored order and arrested 14 suspects allegedly connected to the incident.

Advertisement

According to the police spokesperson, efforts are ongoing to track down other suspects who fled the scene.

The Commissioner of Police in Katsina, Ali Umar-Fage, condemned the attack, warning that the command would not tolerate political thuggery or any act capable of threatening public peace.

Umar-Fage urged politicians and their supporters to avoid violence and conduct their political activities peacefully, stressing that anyone found engaging in acts that endanger public safety would face appropriate action.

The latest incident raises fresh concerns about political violence and the safety of campaign activities in Katsina State as political mobilisation gathers momentum ahead of the 2027 general elections.