Speaking at the national briefing of accredited observer (Foreign and Domestic) for the 2019 general elections, the police boss ordered the immediate arrest of any policeman on electoral duty without identification tag, just as he urged the observers to properly wear identification tags.
Ordering his men to arrest vote buyers and sellers, he equally directed them to ensure strict compliance to the restrictions on the human and vehicular movements on election day, just as he warned the observers from interviewing security agents.
“The security agents should look out for vote buyers and sellers. We are certainly going to make arrests. They must ensure adequate protection of electoral materials, main and ad-hoc staff and the observers. Let me assure the observers, both foreign and domestic, that you will be adequately protected before, during and after the general elections. The observers must wear identification tags throughout the process for easy identification.
“Anybody shouting party slogans, wearing branded party dresses, or campaigning on the polling stations shall be arrested. Any security agent at the polling station without identification tag shall be arrested. The security agents must ensure strict compliance with the restrictions on human and vehicular movement,” he warned.
The Ag IGP revealed that the six Deputy Inspector Generals of Police (DIGs) will be deployed to the six geopolitical zones will be deployed to the six geopolitical zones, 24 Assistant Inspectors Generals of Police (AIGs) will be deployed across the zones, while 36,000 tactical personnel will also be deployed in addition to regular police to beef up security on the election day.
His words: “In the tactical unit, over 24,000 mobile police personnel will be deployed, 4,000 counterterrorism personnel will be deployed and about 8,000 Special Protection Personnel will be deployed.”
“I work tirelessly with the INEC, with the office of the National Security Adviser and other security agencies to make sure that 2019 election is done in a secured manner, in a party professional manner, in a way that a level playing field is provided for every political party and this indicate that all the security agencies will be impartial in the conduct of the 2019 general elections.
“All the Commissioners of Police in the States were made to identify the flashpoints within their states. To identify those that will cause what will lead to the disruption of elections and make sure that we bring them to order before the elections. That has been done.
“We have done the threat analysis in all the States Commands. The State Commissioners of Police are also going to identify all the polling units and voting points within the Commands in cooperation with the RECs to make sure that all the polling units are known before the day of the election.
“Apart from the regular police officers and other security agencies posted, we have our tactical units like the mobile police force, the counter terrorism unit, our special protection unit are all deployed to give additional security,” he assured.
The Ag IGP further noted that all the Squadron Commanders of Police Mobile Force, Special Protection and Anti Terrorism Units will escort sensitive election materials to the state branches of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Registration Areas, and accompany INEC Staff and poll officials especially National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members to their duty posts.
He added that there will be no police escort for VIPs to pulling units, but INEC State and Local Government offices, Collation Centres, NYSC members lodges and public utilities will be protected by armed police personnel, while three unarmed security personnel will man each polling unit on the day of election.
