The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has denied accusations that he masterminded the arrest of some youths in the southern part of Kwara State.

In a statement released in Abuja on Thursday, the Minister maintained that he had nothing to do with the arrest of the youths in Kwara South, contrary to the allegations by some stakeholders that the arrests were the aftermath of the ward congress in his hometown of Oro.

The statement read in part: “The Hon. Minister wishes to state that the police, in the exercise of its constitutional responsibility, does not need to be goaded by anyone to carry out arrests where necessary.

“Concerning the outcome of the election in his Oro Ward 2, the Hon. Minister has made his observations on the conduct of the elections known to the appropriate party authorities, in line with his strong belief in the rule of law.

“Suffice to say, however, that the only credible ward election was the one held by the genuine party members in Oro Ward 2. That explains why, after the election, there was a rally around Oro Town that eventually terminated in the country home of the Hon. Minister.

“He does not believe there is any linkage between the election and the arrests.”