Operatives of Department of State Services and the Nigeria Police on Saturday arrested some officials of the National Youth Council of Nigeria at Agura hotel, Abuja, where election of a new leadership for the association was being held.
It was learnt that the arrest was based on a petition by the outgoing president of the council, Henry Nwabueze, alleging that some youths planned to cause a breach of peace in Abuja.
The security men later reinforced and took over the hotel, apparently to frustrate the election of the new officials of the council.
But the action of the security personnel did not stop the election as NYCN officials, who escaped arrest, relocated to another location where they conducted the poll.
It was learnt that a leading contestant for the council leadership, who eventually emerged as the NYCN president, Ikenga Ugochinyere, and the electoral officers were earlier invited by the FCT Police Command for questioning.
Following the operation by the security agencies, a press conference earlier fixed by the council to present the new leadership was aborted.
Chairman of the Electoral Committee, John Nwakama, who declared Ugochinyere winner of the election, said the era of imposition of candidate on the council was over.
According to him, Ugochinyere polled a total of 209 from 273 delegates, who were earlier accredited to vote on Thursday, adding that some of the delegates left the venue following police harassment.
When contacted, the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, Anjuguri Manzah, said he has no information on the police action and promised to get back to our correspondent, but he did not respond to subsequent calls to his telephone.
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