To ensure that all soldiers would be on ground for the elections, the FG has suspended the airlifting of soldiers for all international peace keeping operations until after the elections.
This came as the Inspector-General of Police, Hafiz Ringim, plans to deploy more policemen to the 24 states where the remaining elections will hold on Tuesday.
The fresh security initiative came on the heels of the violence that accompanied the announcement of the result of the April 16 presidential poll. Indeed, many lives were lost and properties destroyed in the aftermath of the violence.
The incumbent president and Peoples Democratic Party standard-bearer, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, defeated other contenders including the Congress for Progressive Change candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, to win the poll.
Speaking on the increased surveillance, a police boss who pleaded anonymity said that this was not a time for any security agencies to attempt to outshine one another. The police, he said, had asked for more help from the army because, “disgruntled elements will be more in number because Tuesday’s election is a grass root oriented one.”
He said, “We have asked the military for more help. You know, we are partners in the progress of this nation. Specifically, we want the military to guard sensitive places like all INEC centres and collation points. Yes, they have been there during the previous polls but we will have more. All public places will be guarded by the military; not all policemen on duty have guns and that is why more soldiers will be around to help us.
“We are fortunate that elections are not holding in all the states so we can concentrate on other states especially the flashpoints. Anytime from now, the IG is going to give the directive and the policemen will move to other states.”
An army top official who pleaded anonymity said that the police had indeed contacted them for more help. “It is not a strange request. We all know that this is the last election and some politicians may be desperate. Even without the police asking us, we were going to put more men out to maintain order. We have also increased the number of armed patrol teams to take care of mischief makers,” the source said.
While addressing journalists on Saturday, the Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Suleiman Abba, said that with the members of the Armed Forces on ground, “security is absolutely assured.”
Abba warned that violence during Tuesday’s election would not be tolerated. He said, “In particular, violence including the unlawful brandishing of weapons at election venues or anywhere at all in the state, threatening violence or disrupting elections through snatching of election materials will be decisively dealt with. Sponsors of violence are warned.”
The police boss assured the National Youth Service Corps members in the state that maximum security would be available, “We have been protecting NYSC members adequately since the beginning of this election. There will be a minimum of two security personnel in each of the 8,454 polling units. We have about 35,000 security personnel including those from other agencies that will protect the voters, the electoral staff and the votes.”
Also, the Force Public Relations Officer, Shola Amore, said, “We are ready every step of the way; both pre and post elections, we are ready all the way.”
Amore said that the police had observed the challenges with the previous elections and were prepared to improve on them.
He said, “We are increasing our armed patrol vehicle movement all around the country and they will be very visible. We are more than ready.”
On his part, the Commissioner of Police of the anti-bomb squad, Ambrose Aisabor, said that apart from the presence of his men at the Independent and National Electoral Commission and collation centres, some voting units have been identified as volatile. Aisabor said that the voting points would also have the presence of anti-bomb policemen.
Aisabor who did not mention the volatile voting units said, “We are beefing up security. We are going to man some voting points that we have observed to be prone to violence.”
By Toyosi Ogunseye Courtesy Of: Punch
No comments:
Post a Comment