Ibrahim Idris, Inspector General of Police.
• Deploy helicopters, 30 armoured personnel carriers, others
The police have vowed to arrest and prosecute any politician who engages in vote buying during the governorship election scheduled to hold on September 22.The security agents said they would not tolerate, condone, or allow vote buying and selling to take place anywhere in the state before and during the election. In a statement yesterday by Force Public Relations Officer, Jimoh Moshood, the police advised all political parties and their candidates to warn their agents, members and supporters against engaging in buying and selling of votes which is a violation of the Electoral Act.
He said police personnel and those of other security agencies had been trained and briefed not to abdicate their duty, but arrest and hand over to the police joint team specially setup, anybody or group, agents of political parties or their sponsor (s) who engage in or attempt vote buying and selling during the election.
According to him, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, has directed that a robust and elaborate security arrangement be implemented to ensure secured environment for a peaceful and credible election.“The deputy inspector general of police, Department of Operations, has been deployed to the state and is already on ground. He will be assisted by an assistant inspector general of police and eight commissioners of police and other senior officers. Each of the eight police area commands in Osun State will be manned by a commissioner of police.
“The DIG, DOPS will lead, implement and coordinate the security operations, and also supervise the deployment of all personnel of other security agencies under the Inter Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) for the election throughout the 3,764 polling units/voting points in the 332 wards and the 30 local government areas.”
The personnel that were already trained and oriented on election security and Electoral Act on the responsibilities and functions expected of them, comprise the Police Mobile Force (PMF) units; Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU); Special Protection Unit (SPU); Anti Bomb Squad (EOD); conventional policemen; Armament Unit; and personnel of FCIID, IGP Monitoring, IGP IRT teams, sniffer dogs section and the mounted troop.
According to Moshood, four unarmed policemen and two others from other security agencies will be on duty at each voting point. The Police Mobile Force (PMF) headed by a very senior officer will provide security at the RAC, Super RAC and collation centres.Two police patrol surveillance helicopters, 30 armoured personnel carriers, 10 armoured personnel vehicles and 300 police patrol vehicles are already deployed to cover the entire state, including difficult terrains.
“Other security and safety agencies who are members of Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) in the State have also been posted to complement the Nigeria Police Force during the election.
“As part of additional measures to guarantee a peaceful and credible election, the IGP will on 17th September, 2018 attend a stakeholders and peace accord meeting with INEC chairman and the 48 political parties participating in the election and their candidates, INEC officials, election observers and other accredited stakeholders will also be in attendance in Osogbo,” Mamood said.
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