Mohammed Adamu, Acting Inspector-General of Police IGP, says the force has identified flash points across the country and individuals who could cause a breach of the peace, assuring Nigerians of adequate security ahead of next month’s general elections.
Adamu, while briefing the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and sister agencies at a meeting of the Inter Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security, lCCES, in Abuja Thursday, vowed to decisively deal with such threats.
A summary of his briefing was contained in a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC chairman, Mr Rotimi Oyekanmi.
Giving an insight into how the Police designed the security strategy for the election, the IGP said: “We went round the country and carried out threat assessments of the areas that are likely to be flash points and on those individuals that are likely to cause problems during the election. We have identified all those. Our pattern of deployment will be informed by the result of the threat assessments.”
Adamu added that all polling units and voting points will be manned by at least three security personnel with the Police taking the lead, while units of mobile policemen will be deployed to patrol all the country‘s senatorial districts to check unauthorized movements and potential trouble makers.
He affirmed that all collation centres across the country from the ward to state levels will also be adequately protected.
“The location of the RACs (Registration Area Centres), polling units, voting points and collation centres will be adequately manned. There will be at least three security personnel at each polling unit. Units of mobile policemen will be deployed to every senatorial district. where there will be constant patrols to check unauthorized movements and those who might want to cause trouble.
”We are deploying three days before the election and after the election, we will remain behind for the next two days. All security personnel will remain behind after voting had taken place and they will accompany election officials as they move the results. From the ward collation centre, they will move to the local government collation centre where they will meet other security personnel already stationed there. From there, they will all move to state collation centre. So, as they are moving, the number of security personnel keeps increasing up to the state collation centre,” the No.1 police officer explained.
Adamu said the Federal Government has provided the Police with the required resources to carry out its duties during the general elections. He said: “The (federal) government has already paid the allowances of the personnel and every policeman will get his allowance before he moves to the field. The government has also provided us with the means of getting transportation.”
According to him, the Police had already carried out series of in-house training based on the Rules of Engagement designed by INEC. Besides, he said the police collaborated with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to organise additional training.
The lNEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu welcomed the Police Chief‘s willingness to partner with the Commission for the successful conduct of the polls.
Participants at the meeting included National Commissioners, the National Security Adviser, Babagana Mungoro; Comptroller General, Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Muhammed Babandede; Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps, Mr. Boboye Oyeyemi and others.
“We are not surprised that she has opted out of the race because it was clearly out of her depth as a pseudo-activist and opportunist without real political clout and pedigree. Just like her former party acknowledged, the short-lived stint she had as a presidential candidate showed that she had nothing substantial to offer or contribute to political discourse beyond online rants and thoughtless invectives.”
