×
  • News - South South - Edo
  • Updated: September 17, 2020

#EdoDecides2020: Police To Deploy 3 Officers To Each Polling Booth

#EdoDecides2020: Police To Deploy 3 Officers To Each Polling

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has disclosed that the force will deploy three policemen to each of the 2,627 polling booths in the 192 wards of Edo during Saturday’s governorship election.

This was contained in a statement issued on Wednesday, September 16, 2020, 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.

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.”

He warned would-be miscreants and other political thugs who might be holding clandestine nocturnal meetings with the motive of fomenting trouble to disrupt the Edo governorship election to desist from it.

Flanked by 8 Commissioners of Police and heads of other sister security agencies in the state, 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.

READ ALSO: Edo Decides 2020: Obaseki, Ize-Iyamu Pledge To Abide By Peace Pact

“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 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 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.” 

Police Set-up Inter-agency Committee, Joint Control Room

The Inter-agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) was raised to ensure transparent peaceful, free, fair and credible elections that meets international best practices.

DIG Oyebade stated that members of the committee were drawn from the Nigeria Police Force (NPF); Armed Forces, Department of State Security Services (DSS); Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC); Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS); the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS) (formerly Nigerian Prisons Service); Nigeria Customs Service (NCS); Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC); National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA); and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) -which serves as secretary to the Committee.

He stated that to achieve its mandate, members of the committee are determined to work assiduously with a common purpose and collectively without fear or favour and will ensure that the confidence reposed in it is not betrayed. He also announced the establishment of a Joint Control Room with dedicated lines for the use of the public especially during emergencies as part of efforts geared towards efficient management of information and security.

“The following numbers – 08154352118 (for calls only) and 08154350436 (SMS and WhatsApp) – are available for the use of members of the public."

Related Topics

Join our Telegram platform to get news update Join Now

0 Comment(s)

See this post in...

Notice

We have selected third parties to use cookies for technical purposes as specified in the Cookie Policy. Use the “Accept All” button to consent or “Customize” button to set your cookie tracking settings