The Acting Inspector-General of Police, Mr Kayode Egbetokun, affirmed that the police have put in place water- tight measures to ensure free and fair Nov.11 governorship election in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi.
Egbetokun made this known on Thursday in Abuja at a meeting with strategic police managers and media briefing to highlight policies, breakthroughs and achievements of the Nigeria Police Force in the last five weeks.
According to him, the meeting was to avail the participants of the opportunity to enumerate some of operational plans toward policing the off-season governorship election to be held concurrently in the three states.
“We are going to leverage the fact that the elections are limited to just three states to deploy adequately for this election.
“Just as you have seen in other isolated elections in Nigeria, you will see that we have more availability of men more in number than what we used to have in general elections.
“So, I have no fear and nobody should entertain any fairness about how safe and secure the elections are going to be in November.
“Just three states, it will be very convenient for us, so nobody should entertain any fear about the election, we are prepared for it and very soon we will start the deployment,” he said.
Egbetokun added that the police deliberately decided to take its annual retreat to one of the states, where the election would be held.
“The conference would be two weeks before the election, so it is deliberate and not by accident that we chose that state and that date,” he asserted.
Similarly, he noted that the internal security situation of the country, over the last one month, had been relatively calm in spite of the threats of political and socio-economic instability that greeted the removal of fuel subsidy and post-election tribunal judgements across the country.
“Comparatively, we have recorded a lesser number of violent crimes and other major offenses across the country.
“The Nigeria Police Force is poised to support the efforts of the government by providing the needed security and enabling environment for all legitimate businesses and other economic activities in Nigeria,” he added.
