About 20, 000 police officers and men have been deployed by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Suleman Abba, for the general elections in the northeast. This was disclosed by the Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG), Hillary Okpara, while briefing newsmen at the Bauchi police command.
Okpara, who was posted to coordinate security put in place in the six states of Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe in the zone, said that the policemen have been adequately trained.
The DIG of police in charge of administration was posted to supervise the security personnel in the zone made up of Zone 12 with headquarters in Bauchi and Zone 3 with headquarters in Yola, for the elections.
“We have enough policemen and apart from the number we have resident in the northeast the IG has sent some additional units of Police Mobile Force (PMF) to come and augment the policemen in the northeast,” he said.
He said that the policemen have been adequately trained, assuring that there was no need for his men to be afraid of Boko Haram insurgents, stressing that provisions have been made to protect Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) as well.
The DIG said: “The military are there. There is always a procedure. When the police go out the military will move in. Right now the military are there so the police cannot go in.
“I am not afraid of any threat from Boko Haram. When I leave here (Bauchi), I am going to all the states in the northeast zone. Like I said my chopper will arrive any moment from now and I will take off.”
DIG Okpara said his men would be supported by other security agencies drawn from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the Nigeria Prisons Service, Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Road Safety Corps, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
He urged voters from the region to come out and vote, but advised that eligible voters should stay at least 200 metres from the polling units after casting their votes.
“We have provided adequate security for the electorate, local and international observers. The parties have their agents to represent their parties, that is why we are saying for the safety of the results; for the safety of the electoral materials and men; for the safety of all, after casting the votes, voters should keep off.
“Where you have two or three policemen in a polling unit and you have a large crowd hovering over them what do you think will happen? That is why we say there is no point hanging around the polling units after voting.”
On the allegation by the All Progressives Congress (APC) that the Bauchi State governor, Mallam Isa Yuguda has recruited over 3,000 vigilantes and equipped them with uniform to intimidate the electorate to vote against their choice, the DIG explained that there was no need to fret.
DIG Okpara said: “The IG has made it clear that only statutorily empowered security agencies will monitor and ensure security in these elections.
“If you go out there, you will see them patrolling. We don’t want any other security agencies to get involved in these elections. The IG has made it clear while briefing the press in Abuja. So we don’t want to see any other person in any uniform not authorised coming out for the elections. If you do that the security agencies will arrest you and charge you to court.”
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