The Nigeria Police Force has explained why 30,000 police personnel will be in Ekiti State for the Saturday, July 14 governorship elections.
The Force Spokesperson, Jimoh Moshood, who was a guest on Channels Television Breakfast programme, Sunrise Daily said Ekiti State is a ‘flashpoint’ and deploying 30,000 officers for the election is not an over-deployment but an adequate figure to ensure security.
“Ekiti is a flashpoint when it comes to politicking, you can remember what happened in the second republic, we don’t want a repeat of that. When the election is free and fair and election result is being announced, you still see people that want to disrupt the peace of other Nigerians.
“There is no over deployment in 30,000 police personnel, it is an adequate figure to ensure that everybody that has one business or the other that is authorised to play there role during the elections.”
Moshood, who is also a deputy commissioner of police explained further that the number of personnel deployed is not peculiar to Ekiti State only as same was done during Edo and Anambra elections.
He noted that the action was also prompted by ‘inciting’ statements by political leaders in Ekiti State.
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“It is not only peculiar to Ekiti, in Edo, we deployed 25,000 police personnel. In Ondo, we deployed 26,000 and in Anambra, the same 26,000. We have carried out a threat analysis assessment throughout Ekiti State and we have confidence in our personnel to deliver appropriately.
“The utterance of stakeholders and leaders in Ekiti and other areas have been inciting and instigating. We want people to have the confidence that the police is capable of securing them, and for them to be free to come out and vote. We want the will of the people to carry the day.
He added that security measures include not only the deployment of 30,000 officers but also, the Commissioner of Police in states such as Kogi, Kwara, Osun, Ondo and Oyo have been put on red alert and directed by the IGP to deploy massively and ensure that there is no influence and influx of hoodlums and miscreants infiltrating from their states into Ekiti to disrupt the poll.
The Inspector General of Police Ibrahim Idris on Sunday announced that 30,000 police personnel will be deployed to Ekiti State ahead of the governorship election.
Those deployed include personnel of the Police Mobile Force (PMF) Unit, Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU), Special Protection Unit (SPU), Anti-Bomb Squad (EOD), Conventional Policemen, Armament Unit, FCIID, and the sniffer dogs section.
Four policemen and two security operatives from other agencies would be on duty at each polling unit throughout the state while the PMF to be headed by a very senior officer would provide security at the RAC, Super RAC and collation centres.
Two Patrol Surveillance Helicopters, five additional Armoured Personnel Carriers, 10 Armoured Personnel Vehicles and 250 Police patrol vehicles are also deployed throughout the state, including difficult terrains.