Ekiti state election: IGP to ensure adequate security throughout election

As the people of Ekiti state massively engage in the process of selecting the new governor of the state, the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, on Friday ordered the restriction of vehicular movements within Ekiti state particularly along the entry and exit points with effect from 12am on Saturday to 6pm.

The IGP, who spoke through the Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of the election, Babatunde Kokumo, said, “To this end, operatives of the Nigeria Police Force and the military as well as other security agencies have been deployed across the state borders to enforce the restriction order and ensure criminal-minded individuals do not infiltrate the state and cause mayhem during, before and after the election.

“We are also statutorily charged with the responsibility of securing INEC personnel, electoral materials and other critical assets of the commission as well as the electorate and the local and international observers.

“In carrying out our duties under the Electoral Act, we should be mindful not to abandon our routine, primary mandate of guaranteeing security within the public space so that criminal elements do not feast on our electoral engagement to have space for their heinous crimes.”

Also, NSCDC Acting Deputy Commandant General, Operations, Lawal Haruna, said the corps deployed 9,747 personnel drawn from the Federal Capital Territory, Lagos, Ondo, Ogun, Osun, Oyo, Kogi, Kwara and Edo commands to provide security during the election.

He said some flashpoints had already been identified and that information regarding violence-prone areas had been shared with other security agencies involved in the election. He said two personnel of the corps would be in each polling unit.

Director-General, National Youth Service Corps, Brig. Gen. Muhammad Kakuh Fadah, on Friday solicited adequate protection for corps members participating as ad hoc officials.

Fadah, who spoke during his visit to the headquarters of the security agencies in the state, wondered what Nigeria would be without the NYSC.

The top brass in the military, Department of State Services and the police in the state assured the NYSC DG they would do everything within their powers to ensure that corps members were secured during and after the elections.

On the safety of the ad hoc staff, Oyekanmi said, “The commission has obtained insurance policy for all the ad hoc staff that will be engaged in Ekiti governorship election. The policy, known as Electoral Hazard – a Group Personal Accident Policy, covers death by accident, temporary disability, permanent disability and medical treatment due to an accident. This has been the practice for every election that INEC conducts.”