• Vows to deal with offenders according to law
The Commissioner of Police in Anambra State, CP Echeng Echeng, has assured of peaceful environment for tomorrow’s general elections in the state.
Reading the riot act, Echeng cautioned political gladiators and their supporters to play by the rules, warning that anyone found wanting would be dealt with according to law.
In a statement, yesterday, in Awka, Echeng said Anambra citizens would join other Nigerians to cast their votes for their preferred candiates in tomorrow’s presidential and National Assembly elections, as well as in the state House of Assembly elections on March 11, in accordance with the electoral timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Quoting the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), the Police Act 2020 and the Electoral Act 2022 mandating the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), as the lead agency in internal security, he assured that police had formulated a comprehensive strategy, in synergy with INEC, military formations and sister security agencies in the state, to provide enabling security environment for peaceful, credible and transparent elections.
He said the arrangement is in line with the strategic directives of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Alkali Baba Usman, and is being implemented under the umbrella of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) based on a security threat analysis and risk assessment earlier conducted by the state Police Command.
Giving details on election day security plan, he said that the Command, in synergy with the military and sister security agencies, is ready to deploy unarmed law enforcement agents to man 5,720 polling units across the state, escort and protect all INEC personnel and ad-hoc staff on election duty. He said: “We are to escort and protect all sensitive and non-sensitive electoral materials as may be required by INEC.
“We will also provide robust security/confidence building patrols across communities to reassure citizens and encourage voters to come out to exercise their franchise freely.
“We will maintain formidable rapid response teams across all 326 wards to promptly and effectively respond to any distress call, as well as enforce movement restriction orders.”
Recalling that implementation of the pre-election phase was largely successful, as election campaigns in the state have been peaceful and devoid of violence, Echeng charged Anambra people to come out on Saturday and exercise their franchise without fear or favour. He added: “Nobody will be allowed to mobilise resources and thugs to intimidate people in any constituency.
“To members of the press and civil society, I urge you to be more patriotic as you discharge your duties.”
