As the governorship Election Day in Ekiti approaches, the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar has ordered immediate deployment of hi-tech security equipments, including surveillance helicopters, armoured personnel carriers and patrol vans to the state.
Speaking after a brief meeting with police officers on Monday, Abubakar said the highest number of policemen to have covered election in any state of the federation would be deployed to the state to maintain peace during the election which holds on 21st June.
The deployment comes as a reinforcement of other security measures already put in place by the Police, especially the deployment to strategic locations of the personnel of the Police Mobile Force (PMF), Counter-Terrorism Unit (CTU), the Bomb Disposal Unit, Mounted Troops and the Police Air-wing.
He said this effort is designed to effectively boost the integrity of the electoral process and ensure an atmosphere of peace, orderliness, safety and security of persons, votes and all sensitive election materials during the election.
“Knowing what Ekiti used to be during elections, we have gone a step further to do all the things we are supposed to do in terms of materials and human resources,” Mohammed said.
“Do not ask the number of personnel I am going to use, in security business we want to keep that to our chest so that we can do our best. I tell you it is one of the highest number we can ever expect to be deployed to any state that we have been because we must look at history.”
He assured that the Police and other security agencies would do everything possible to prevent recurrence of election violence witnessed in the old Ondo in 1983.
“Some of us who were in Ondo State in 1983, during Omoboriowo’s election, we know what happened and we are doing everything to ensure that it is prevented,” he said.
He added that security agencies in the last three months have been carrying out surveillance and gathering information toward ensuring free and fair election in Ekiti.
While reassuring Nigerian citizens, especially Ekiti State indigenes of the readiness of the Police Force and other security agencies to do their utmost best towards ensuring a hitch-free election, the Inspector-General reiterated his earlier call on the citizens especially the gubernatorial candidates, party chieftains, opinion moulders and other relevant stakeholders for their cooperation throughout the period of the electioneering process, warning that troublemakers and persons not directly connected with the smooth conduct of the election should stay out of the electoral process as the tough security arrangements in place will leave no room for any untoward behaviour.
He further charged the Police personnel on election duty in the state to conduct themselves in line with the principles of democratic conduct, while ensuring that the state remains calm throughout the election period and beyond.
