Mike Odiegwu, Yenagoa
The police have sent special forces and anti-terrorism squad to beef up security for the Saturday governorship election in Bayelsa State.
The Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of the election, Abdulmajid Ali, said the special forces were among the 31,041 personnel deployed in the state.
Ali said squads from the police mobile force, special protection unit, intelligence response unit, mounted troop, K9 section, air wing and the marine detachment were also sent to the state.
“There shall also be massive logistics mobilisation to support the operations while complementary forces shall be pooled from sister security agencies.
“It must be emphasised that the heavy deployment of all these security operatives is to make the elections a success in the two states and not to intimidate the electorate and the general public”, he said.
He said the Inspector-General of Police directed that all security aides attached to the governor, his deputy and all other public office holders and any other personality involved in the election be withdrawn.
He said the police had the operational capacity to ensure the success of the election adding that they were also aware of threats some misguided elements might attempt to pose during the election
He said: “To such elements, we must sound a note of warning that as a nation, we have had enough electoral violence. We shall not hesitate to identify, isolate and bring to deserved justice any person, group of persons that attempt to threaten the democratic order in Bayelsa”.
Leave a Reply