EDO GUBER: Police to deploy 3 officers to man each of 2,627 polling booths
The Nigerian Police Force (NPF) has informed that it will deploy three policemen to each of the 2,627 polling booths in the 192 wards of Edo State during Saturday’s governorship election.
This was contained in a statement issued on Wednesday by the Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG) in charge of Research and Planning, Adeleye Oyebade, who also noted that the Force would enforce the withdrawal of police orderlies from all VIPs during the election.
Oyebade who addressed a press conference in Benin ahead of the election also announced the setting up of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), at the state local government area levels.
He said the police officers to be deployed to the polling units have been cautioned to be “apolitical, neutral, and professional in the conduct of their duties.”
Oyebade said: “The police officers have been properly briefed on their expected roles and conduct during the election bearing in mind strict adherence to the principles and rules of the Code of Conduct for Officers and Men of the Nigeria Police Force.
“All other security personnel deployed for the election must also adhere to the code of conduct and rules of engagement on election duty.
“For effective manning of the polling booths, no fewer than three police officers and personnel of other security agencies will be deployed to each of the 2,627 polling booths.
“Let me at this juncture assure the good people of Edo State that the officers deployed for this special assignment will be apolitical, neutral, and professional in their constitutional responsibilities. The police officers and other counterparts from sister agencies who are involved in this election will be posted to the polling booths by name, and would wear identifiable tags for easy identification.”
He said as a prelude to the election, the Police recently mopped up arms to curtail the proliferation of illegal arms therefore said that no carrying of arms by”persons, groups, or outfits by whatever name would be allowed.
The DIG also disclosed that as from midnight on Friday, the restriction of movement would commence till same time on Saturday, warning that no one is allowed to wear any cloth, emblem, or colour signifying any political party to the polling units on Saturday.
Oyebade added, “No person is allowed to move around with security personnel around polling units. Everyone is enjoined to vote and return to their respective houses or remain peacefully within the approved parameters of the polling centres.”