Osun 2018: IGP Strengthens Security Architecture With Over 15,000 Personnel, Others
The Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris on Sunday said it has strengthened its security architecture by deploying an Assistant Inspector General of Police and eight Commissioners of Police to Osun State to coordinate the over fifteen thousand personnel and officers of other security agencies that would ensure a hitch free governorship election scheduled to hold on the 22nd of September, 2018.
The Police in a statement signed by Force Public Relations Officer, Force Headquarters, Jimoh Moshood, an acting Deputy Commissioner of Police made available to journalists affirmed that four unarmed policemen and two others from other security agencies will be on duty at each of 3, 764 voting point throughout the state .
He also directed that a robust and elaborate security arrangement be implemented in Osun State to ensure secured environment for a peaceful and credible election.
According to him, ‘’The Deputy Inspector General of Police, Department of Operations has been deployed to the State and already on ground. He will be assisted by an Assistant Inspector General of Police and Eight (8) Commissioners of Police and other senior Officers. Each of the eight Police Area Commands in Osun State will be manned by a Commissioner of Police.
‘’The DIG, DOPS will lead, implement and coordinate the security operations, and also supervise the deployment of all Personnel of other Security Agencies under the Inter Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) for the election throughout the 3,764 Polling units/voting points in the 332 Wards and the Thirty (30) LGAs of the State.
‘’To ensure adequate security and safety of life and property before, during and after the election, the IGP has graciously approved the deployment of adequate Police personnel to Osun State for the Election.
‘’The personnel that were already trained and oriented on election security and electoral act on the responsibilities and functions expected of them, comprises the Police Mobile Force (PMF) Units, Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU), the Special Protection Unit (SPU), the Anti Bomb Squad (EOD), Conventional Policemen, the Armament Unit, personnel of FCIID, IGP Monitoring, IGP IRT teams, the Sniffer dogs section and the Mounted Troop.
‘’The Police Mobile Force (PMF) headed by the very Senior Officer will provide security at the RAC, Super RAC and Collation centres.
‘’Two Police Patrol Surveillance Helicopters, Thirty Armoured Personnel Carriers, Ten Armoured Personnel Vehicles and Three Hundred Police patrol vehicles are already deployed to cover the entire State including difficult terrains.
‘’Other security and safety agencies who are members of Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) in the State have also been posted to complement the Nigeria Police Force during the election.’’
The police added that as part of additional measures to guarantee a peaceful and credible election, the IGP will today attend a stakeholders and peace accord meeting with INEC Chairman and the Forty-Eight political parties participating in the election and their flag bearers, saying INEC officials, election observers and other accredited stakeholders will also be in attendance in Osogbo, Osun State.
He added that police officers and personnel of other security and safety agencies deployed for the elections are under strict Instructions to be strict, polite and civil but firm in the discharge of their duties and other responsibilities.
‘’ They are to provide adequate security for the electorates, INEC Officials, movement of election materials, the accredited election observers/Monitors and other individuals and bodies that have statutory roles in the conduct of the election, at the Polling units, Collation Centres and INEC Offices throughout the State before, during and after the election,’’ he said.
Above all the IGP said, ‘’The Nigeria Police Force will not tolerate, condone, or allow Vote Buying and Selling to take place anywhere in Osun State before and during the election. The Force hereby wishes to warn all political parties and their flag bearers to prevail on their agents, members and supporters not to engage in buying and selling of votes which is in violation of the electoral act.’’
