The Nigeria Police is deploying over 300,000 Policemen across the country for the smooth conduct of Saturday’s gubernatorial and State Assembly elections.
Acting Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu made the disclosure on Tuesday, while speaking to Journalists after a meeting of the Security Council, presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, held at the State House.
Adamu, who thanked Nigerians for maintaining peace during the Presidential and National Assembly elections that took place February 23, while stating that the Police and other security agencies have concluded plans to enhance security in all parts of the country, to enable voters perform their civic duty without any form of molestation.
“We are all aware of the smooth conduct of the Presidential and National Assembly elections and we congratulate Nigerians for the generally peaceful conduct of that election and we are prepared now for the gubernatorial and House of Assembly elections in the country. We will like every Nigerian to come out and cast his or her vote because the security arrangement we provided during the Presidential election is being enhanced, so as to provide an enabling environment for everybody to come out and cast his/her vote for their preferred candidates,” he said.
Warning for Troublemakers
The Police boss used the opportunity to warn hoodlums and selfish politicians that would want to ferment trouble on Election Day.
“We will again advice those that would want to disrupt the process to have a rethink because during the Presidential election, we had some few challenges here and there and would not allow such to repeat itself. We are taking more security measures to address those pockets of challenges we noticed.
“Thuggery is not allowed, ballot snatching is not allowed and likewise disruption of the process of election is not allowed. The security personnel have resolved to deal ruthlessly with anybody that attempts to disrupt the process of this election and for that reason; we expect the conduct of the election to be peaceful in every state.
“Election materials must not be tampered with. We expect that officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC officials would do their work without fear or favour and without been compromised. Likewise, the security personnel are to perform their duties without been compromised. So we have tightened the security, to make sure that the election goes on without any hitch,” he said.
Commenting on the activities of hoodlums during the Presidential and National Assembly elections, the Inspector General said: “We’ve made a lot of arrests and we shall come up with the number of those we arrested all over the country in terms of those that disrupted the process of election in some parts of the country.”
On recent happenings in Bayelsa State, the Police boss said the Police have noticed that some people there are violent so the number of officers and men there had since been increased, to contain the situation.
“We have increased the personnel of our intelligence outfit there to help fish out those causing mayhem so that we can take them out of that environment, before they do more harm,” Adamu stated.
Tuesdays security meeting presided over by President Buhari, had Defence Minister, Mansur Dan-Ali, all the service Chiefs, Interior Minister, Abdulrahman Danbazau and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, among others in attendance.
By Timothy Choji, Abuja I Lateefah Ibrahim
