At least 15, 000 police personnel comprising, 11,000 regular police and 5,000 Mobile Police men including 6,000 Civil Defence Corps, as well as, other security personnel have been deployed to monitor today’s election in Kogi State.
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Solomon Arase, who disclosed this in Lokoja earlier in the week at a stakeholders’ meeting stated the contingent included, three Commissioners of Police and the Zone 8 Assistant IGP will be led by a Deputy IGp in charge of Operations, Mr. Sotonye Wakama
Arase assured the people of the state that the police and other security agencies would provide adequate security of lives and property before, during and after today’s governorship election.
He assured all the political parties and the candidates a level playing ground during the election.
In addition to the police men on ground, he stated that one unit of Mobile Policemen will be deployed to each of the 21 local government areas of the state,
The Inspector General of Police, who stated intelligence reports have shown that some desperate politicians in the state have procured police uniforms and guns to be given to their thugs on election day, warned that those caught would be made to face wrath of the law.
The police boss stated that there will be restriction of movement from local government to another local government, stressing that the police are working in partnership with Federal Road Safety Corps to ensure that there is strict compliance.
Speaking earlier, the newly appointed Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahamud Yakubu, restated that the Commission would conduct free, fair, credible and acceptable governorship in the state.
Professor Yakubu explained that preparations were in top gear to ensure the conduct of the governorship election without hitch, noting that all sensitive electoral materials have been delivered to the state.
The chairman explained that a total of 1,351,313 have been registered as eligible voters in the election, pointing out that the commission has deplored over 12,983 staff to work in the 3018 polling units for the election, while the commission had detected over 2,300 voters who conducted double registration.
Professor stated that as part of efforts to ensure hitch free election, the commission will deploy three national commissioners to man each of the three senatorial districts and 11 resident electoral commissioners from other states for the election.