ANAMBRA GUBER ELECTION: POLICE PLACE 24 HOURS RESTRICTION OF MOVEMENT
REPORTER: UCHE NDEKE
Ahead of Saturday’s governorship election in Anambra State, the Nigerian Police have announced a twenty-four hour restriction of movement within the state.
According to Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) in charge of Operations, Mr. Zaki Ahmed, who addressed journalists at the Police Headquarters, Amawbia, the restriction would be from midnight, Friday to midnight, Saturday.
He assured the people that adequate security arrangements had been put in place to ensure the safety of voters and other participants as well as all residents of the state.
According to the DIG, security forces were collaborating to ensure a hitch free exercise.
Mr. Ahmed while Assuring of the neutrality of the security agencies during the election, said a level playing ground would be provided for all parties.
He said intervention squads had been stationed at all twenty-one local government areas to respond to emergencies.
On the allegation by the Anambra State Government that some elements in the police planned to arrest some government officials to weaken their party, the Deputy Inspector General dismissed it as fake news, saying that there was no such plan.
Mr. Ahmed reiterated that adequate measures had been emplaced to ensure a free, fair and hitch free exercise, promising that the police and other security agencies would be alive to their responsibilities.
In a remark, the Force Public Relations Officer, Mr. Frank Mba, called on the media to collaborate with security operatives by ensuring that all the information they put out is accurate and also fact check any information before dishing them out as news to avoid hitting up the polity.
Accredited Civil Society Organizations, who were on ground during the briefing, raised their concerns about welfare of the officers deployed for the election and also stressed the need for security personnel to have respect for Fundamental Human Rights of the citizens during and after the election.