Ahead of Saturday’s Anambra governorship election, the state Commissioner of Police in charge of the poll, Abayomi Shogunle, has disclosed that at least 60,000 security personnel drawn from various security agencies have been deployed for the election.
The Anambra State Police Command Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, made this disclosure through a statement issued on Tuesday in Awka, state capital
According to the statement, Shogunle said that a central command framework had been established to ensure real-time intelligence sharing, coordination and rapid response.
This, he said, was followed by a joint deployment of more than 60,000 security personnel from agencies within the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES).
“The committee on election security will secure the 5,720 polling units in the state with tactical reserves along inter-local government area (LGA) and state boundaries, and also designated election collation centres,” he said.
The statement added that upon assumption of duty, Shogunle activated the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun’s enforcement protocol for anti-electoral offences to ensure zero tolerance for ballot snatching, vote-buying, political thuggery and voter intimidation.
The state police image-maker added in the statement that the police commissioner had also stepped up the Electoral Offences Desk to monitor social media and online spaces towards identifying cyber-related crimes for prompt investigation and prosecution.
Shogunle reiterated the ban on Agunechemba and all other quasi-security groups in the state, saying that only the Federal Government’s security agencies were authorised to provide election security, as provided by the laws of the federation.
He announced the strict prohibition of movements of very important persons (VIPs) with armed escorts or security aides at polling or collation centres, warning that violators would face immediate apprehension, withdrawal of such escorts and prosecution.
Shogunle said that only designated Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials, accredited observers and journalists would be allowed to move freely within designated areas.
He called on political actors, community leaders and the electorate to support the police and other security agencies in maintaining peace before, during and after the election.
According to the statement of the state police publicist, the police commissioner can be reached on 0809-600-0079 for prompt response.
It also said that Shogunle’s posting was in line with the policing operation strategy approved by Egbetokun to enhance strategic security planning and ensure a peaceful, credible and transparent electoral process in the state.
