Lafia — Those identified as political thugs would be among stakeholders to be sensitized ahead of the local government elections in Nasarawa State.

Chairman of the Nasarawa State Indepen-dent Electoral Commission (NASIEC), Dr. Abdulahi Modibbo said thugs have a stake in the planned election, but at the same time, risk prosecution and imprisonment if they are cut perpetrating thuggery.

Modibbo told Daily Trust on phone that it will be easy to identify thugs because the commission will work with community leaders and other stakeholders to meet with persons known to have history of election violence and ballot box snatching.

"We are going to organize sensitization talks with stakeholders, especially the volatile groups. I am talking of political thugs. This is not to recognize them, but we consider them as stakeholders", Dr. Modibbo said, explaining that the talks would be to educate them of the consequences of thuggery during the election.

"We will tell them about the implication of perpetrating thuggery, and how we are ready to go all legal heights at making sure our election go well as planned without violence and other forms of electoral malpractices", Dr. Modibbo said.

He said the commission will invite religious and traditional leaders and other stakeholders who will talk to the thugs during the sensitization event.