The Nigeria Police Force is adequately prepared for the 2023 general elections which begins today, the Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of South-West zone, DIG Johnson Kokumo has said.
Kokumo made this known in Ibadan during the week while addressing officers and men of the Oyo State Police Command on the police authority’s expectations from its personnel during the 2023 general elections.
He assured that the Inspector General of Police, IGP Usman Baba had made adequate deployment of police personnel on the land, waterways and air in order to have free, fair and credible elections.
“Nigeria Police Airway is working in synergy with the Nigeria Air Force; our officers have also been deployed to waterways to take charge of riverine communities, using the Marine Wing of the Nigeria Police, working in synergy with the Nigeria Navy,” he said.
“We are adequately prepared and good to go for the 2023 general elections,” Kokumo emphasized.
He called on Nigerians to go about the electoral process in a peaceful manner, urging them to troop out enmass to exercise their franchise without any fear of molestation.
Kokumo further said that the police, in synergy with other sister security agencies are seriously working to ensure that the election was devoid of violence and crisis free.
The DIG said that the police was well prepared to provide adequate security for lives and property of the citizens before, during and after the 2023 general elections.
He called on the police personnel to continue to play their leading role in internal security.
Kokumo encouraged them not to relinquish their leadership role, advising them to synergise with other security agencies and seek cooperation with thepubliclll
He further called on the police not to abuse the rights of the citizens, not to take firearms close to the voting centres and use minimum force where applicable.
Kokumo urged the officers to provide security for the staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), ad hoc staff, election materials and lives and property of the public.
Ealier, the state Commissioner of Police, Adebowale Williams, said he had shared the threat analyses in each of the Senatorial Districts with the officers deployed to cover the election and what they had put in place to checkmate them.
Williams said that other informations had also been given to the concern officers, stressing that they were ready for the election.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Lagos State Command says it has deployed 3,500 officers to ensure the safety of residents this Saturday and during the March 11 general elections.
Mr Usman Alfadarai, Commandant of the corps in the state, disclosed this in an interview journalists in Lagos, on Friday.
Alfadarai gave assurance that the NSCDC would deploy every other structure needed to ensure safety of residents as well as peaceful elections.
Giving a breakdown of the deployment, he said that about 500 personnel were deployed to all INEC offices and to oversee all critical infrastructure within the state.
“The personnel have also been mandated to ensure thorough check of garages and gardens, shopping malls, oil pipelines, government offices, markets, among others, and no black spot will be left unmonitored.
“Then we deployed 2500 personnel to all the polling units within the state.
“However, if the need to mobilise more human capacity arises, we are ready,” he said.
The NSCDC boss warned criminals who planned to use the election period to attack innocent residents to have a rethink.
He stressed that the corps would deal decisively with anybody that engaged in criminal activity.
