The Nigeria Police Force, NPF, on Monday gave reasons 30,000 personnel were being deployed to Ekiti State, ahead of Saturday’s governorship election.
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Ibrahim Idris had announced the deployment of 30,000 personnel for the Saturday’s governorship election in Ekiti State.
However, Jimoh Moshood, Force spokesperson, said Ekiti State was a “flash point” and deploying 30,000 officers for the election was an adequate figure to ensure adequate security, and not an over-deployment.
Moshood said this while featuring on Channels Television programme, Sunrise daily.
According to Moshood, “Ekiti is a flashpoint when it comes to politicking, you can remember what happened in the second republic, we don’t want a repeat of that. When the election is free and fair and election result is being announced, you still see people that want to disrupt the peace of other Nigerians.
“There is no over deployment in 30,000 police personnel, it is an adequate figure to ensure that everybody that has one business or the other that is authorised to play there role during the elections.”
He explained that the number of personnel deployed was not peculiar to Ekiti State, as the same was done during the Edo and Anambra elections.
“It is not only peculiar to Ekiti, in Edo, we deployed 25,000 police personnel. In Ondo, we deployed 26,000 and in Anambra, the same 26,000. We have carried out a threat analysis assessment throughout Ekiti State and we have confidence in our personnel to deliver appropriately.
“The utterance of stakeholders and leaders in Ekiti and other areas have been inciting and instigating. We want people to have the confidence that the police is capable of securing them, and for them to be free to come out and vote. We want the will of the people to carry the day,” he said.
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