Ahead of today’s gubernatorial election in Edo State, the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 5, AIG Isaac Eke, yesterday expressed the readiness of the security agencies for the poll. He said, the security officials deployed for the election were on ground to forestall any crisis before, during and after the election.
Speaking to selected journalists at the state Police Headquarters in Benin, Eke said the Nigeria Police had deployed enough personnel for the election, especially in the riverine areas and warned VIPs not to move about with their aides during the election. He said: “It is no longer news that we have 25, 000 policemen on ground to take care of the waterways, airways and land.
We have policemen deployed to various local governments and wards. We also have about 250 vehicles deployed for policing during the election. “VIPs are not allowed to move about with their aides while voting is ongoing.
We have restriction of movements between 6am and 6pm. Likewise, we have intervention force.” Shedding more light on security arrangements made to forestall manipulation of the election through the waterways, Eke said: “We have gunboats and speedboats, the speedboats are there to convey the officials. We have gunboats to be positioned at strategic areas to forestall threat. We cannot hold aloof because of unforeseen circumstances.”
On the possibility of security agencies being partisan or biased during the election, AIG Eke said Nigeria Police will not be political. Meanwhile, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) yesterday said a total of 15, 250 of its personnel had also been deployed to the state to ensure the peaceful conduct of today’s poll. Acting Deputy Commandant General, Operations, NCSDC, Mr. Hillary Madu, stated this while addressing the corps in Benin.
He said the personnel deployed for the election include 15,000 armed and unarmed officers while the other 250 are drawn from specialised units of the NSCDC. Madu said the specialised units include the Special Weapon and Tactics (SWAT) unit, Kernel units, Counter Terrorism unit, undercover officers and others. He said all the personnel deployed are expected to work in synergy with other security agencies meant for the polls towards making the election free, fair and credible. Madu also warned that anybody out to disrupt the electoral process would be dealt with according to the law even as he cautioned officers and men of the NSCDC against any form of compromise by the politicians.
While describing the state as a peaceful one, the NSCDC boss further appealed to the people to ensure that the prevailing atmosphere of peace was sustained before, during and after the election, adding that five commandants from neighbouring states had been deployed to coordinate the 15,250 officers deployed to the state. According to him, “We are here to maintain peace, that is exactly why we are here, we are preaching peace and appealing to everybody, especially the politicians and their loyalists to help us sustain this peace. “This election is not about anybody, and it is not worth the soul of anybody. We must all work for the success of the poll.
For us as a security agency, we are not politicians; we are here to ensure free, fair and credible governorship election.” Madu said the major flash points across the state have been mapped out for effective surveillance and that officers of the NSCDC would be visible in all the 2, 627 polling units, and 192 wards in the 18 councils of the state.
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