Police to deploy over 34,000 officers for Anambra election

THE Nigerian Police Force said it would deploy more than 34,000 of its officers to provide security during the November 6 Anambra governorship election.

This was stated by the Inspector-General of Police Usman Baba during a meeting with officers on Thursday.

The IGP said the deployment would consist of conventional Police officers, Police Mobile Force, the Counter-Terrorism Unit, Special Forces, Explosive Ordnance Unit, Force Intelligence Bureau, Interpol, Special Protection Unit, and a medical team.

He said three helicopters would be deployed for aerial surveillance while detachments of marine Police operatives would also be handy to ensure a safe, secure, and credible electoral process.

“Based on the outcome of the analysis, we have developed a strategic election security operation plan which will involve the mobilisation of 34,587 police personnel,” he said.

He assured all citizens and stakeholders, including the international community, of the Police’s determination to work with other security agencies to stabilise the prevailing situation in Anambra.

He said the idea was to create a conducive and enabling environment that would guarantee the peaceful conduct of the election.

Baba said the Police were committed to partnering with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) within the dictates of the Electoral Act to deliver a credible election in Anambra.

He warned disruptors and political actors who would want to adopt undemocratic and illegal means to achieve their aspirations to do away with such plans.

Baba also called on the commissioners of Police to strengthen security architecture in their commands.

INEC had expressed concern over what it described as escalating security threats in Anambra ahead of the election.

INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu, who expressed the concern at an emergency meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) last week Tuesday in Abuja, had said that during the last ICCES quarterly meeting on September 9, a major concern was raised by the committee on the security situation in the state and the adjoining states.

He said the concern was raised on how the situation might affect preparations and possibly the conduct of the election.

He said that the situation had deteriorated since the last meeting, as many innocent lives had been lost and properties destroyed in the state.

Yakubu said that INEC was particularly concerned about the safety of voters and election duty staff, including security officials who had also become targets of the attacks.

He said that INEC was also concerned about the safety of thousands of young Nigerians from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and university students who were to be engaged in the conduct of the election.

Yakubu, while assuring that the process of the election would proceed as scheduled, said that INEC would continue to work with security agencies and respected opinion leaders in the state to ensure the success of the election.