The Nigeria Police Force has deployed 10,000 officers and men to Ekiti State for the governorship rerun election holding in 63 wards on Saturday (today). The Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mike Okiro, who disclosed this, also warned the policemen to comport themselves and limit their activities to their duty posts.
Okiro warned politicians against rigging the election, saying that the electorate‘s votes must count in the election. He said all the contenders for the post of governor would be treated equally irrespective of their status.
The Police boss particularly warned policemen not deployed officially for election duty not to interfere with the exercise, just as he ordered that those on duty must not come around the polling areas without wearing the approved name tags to be issued to them, specifically for the assignment.
He said that police aides to the contestants must not follow their principals to the polling booths and that anyone of them who violated the order would be dealt with. Okiro, who spoke at a press briefing in Abuja said, ”All police officers of all ranks attached to the 33rd PMF Squadron (Mopol 33) Ekiti who are not on essential duty are confined to their normal duty points and bases from 0600hrs to 1800hrs.”
Warning politicians who might want to perpetrate any acts of rigging during the election, the IG warned that ”subject to provision of the Electoral Act, any person, no matter his or her status, who contravenes the law, shall be promptly arrested and prosecuted”. He also warned all trouble makers to stay away from the polling units, adding that anyone who had not registered to vote in any of the units was barred from coming close to the polling booth or collation centre, warning that violators of the instruction shall be arrested and prosecuted as well.
Asked why the commissioner of police in the State was removed from office a day before he election, he said the CP was not removed from office as speculated but that he gave permission to the “grand commander” to swap positions among officers and men of the Ekiti State command and give tasks to other officers to be brought in from other commands for the smooth conduct of the election.
On whether the tags to be won by the policemen on duty could not be faked, he said the tags were to be brought from Abuja and that they would be flown to Ekiti in a police helicopter few hours to the commencement of the election.