by 
Barely 48 hours to the
governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa States, Police said it had
identified possible risks that could constitute a threat to the smooth conduct
of the elections.
Abdulmajid Ali, the Deputy Inspector-General
of Police in charge of Operations, made this known to newsmen in Lokoja on
Thursday. He said that individuals and groups that could pose security
challenges to the election had been identified, classified and placed under
surveillance. He said that a security threat assessment carried out in the
states made it possible for the police to discover all these.
According to Ali, the outcome of the
intelligence-driven assessment was also used as a guide in the deployment of
personnel and logistics for the elections. Ali said that the objective was to
create a secure and peaceful environment to give citizens the confidence to
freely exercise their franchise. He explained that adequate security had been
put in place for all INEC personnel, ad-hoc staff, agents, domestic and
international observers during the entire period. “We have also emplaced
adequate security for both sensitive and non-sensitive election materials, both
at the voting centres, while on transit and at the various collation points. He
said that 66,241 policemen would be deployed for election security operations
in both Kogi and Bayelsa States on Nov. 16. Out of this, he said 35,200
personnel will be deployed to Kogi State while 31,041 will be deployed to
Bayelsa State. He said that they would be complemented by deployment of Police
Mobile Force, Special Protection Unit and Counter-terrorism Unit and other
security outfits. In addition, Ali said that the Inspector-General of Police,
Mohammed Adamu, had ordered the posting of Deputy Inspectors-General of Police
(DIGs), AIGs, CPs, DCPs and ACPs to all senatorial districts and local
government areas within the two states. He made it clear that the heavy
deployment of policemen for the election was not to intimidate voters but to
make the elections a success. According to him, personnel deployed on the
election security operations have been charged to be civil, fair and
professional and be the rule of law-guided in the discharge of their duties.
“In so doing, however, they have been additionally instructed to be firm and
decisive,’’ he said. Ali said that all entry and exit points into Kogi and
Bayelsa States from contiguous states shall be closed as from 12 a.m. of Nov.15
to 4 p.m. of Nov.16. “There shall also be restriction of movements within the
two states as from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. of Nov.16, with the exemption of those on
election duties and essential services,’’ he said. Ali said that the
Inspector-General of Police had directed that with effect from Friday, Nov. 15,
all security aides attached to political office holders be withdrawn until the
conclusion of the elections. He gave an assurance that the police and other
security agencies were fully ready to support INEC in delivering successful
elections in Kogi and Bayelsa States. He said that the country has had enough
of electoral violence, warning those planning to foment trouble on election day
to have a change of mind. “In securing the law-abiding citizens during the
elections, we shall not hesitate to deploy our potent assets to deal firmly and
decisively with electoral deviants,’’ he warned.
Source: Vanguard
