The Commissioner of Police for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Babaji Sunday, has warned political thugs to stay off the Saturday Feb. 12 Area Councils election in the territory.
Sunday gave the warning while briefing accredited observer groups for the FCT Area council election, organised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja on Monday.
Sunday, represented by Deputy Commissioner of Police FCT in charge of Operations, Ben Igweh, said that the police force would not fail to deal with any one that try to disrupt the peace of the election.
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Sunday, who described election as globally, peaceful means of changing governments by its citizens, pledged that the police as the lead agency in internal security would ensure there is peace before, during and after the election.
He said that 22,750 security personnel including the Police, Nigeria Civil Defense, Army Corps (NSCDC), Navy, Air Force, State Security Service (SSS) and other security agencies, from the FCT and three neighbouring states would be deployed for the election.
Sunday said that being the nation’s Capital City hosting the headquarters of all security agencies, the security personnel had agreed that the election must be peaceful.
He said that the security agencies had mapped out security flash points in the six area councils.
“The deployment will be done before, during and after the election to secure and ensure safety of NYSC members, INEC staff, observers, sensitive and non-sensitive materials.
“If we don’t get it right in Abuja, there will be problem. That is why we want to make it a different and exemplary election.
“Abuja is the headquarters of the police force, headquarters of INEC, headquarters of Army, Navy, SSS and NSCDC and all security forces. So we are going to get it right.
“We are going to use sledgehammer to nail that flag that rear its head, either as bandits or thugs or any name you may call it.
“Any person that has nothing to do in the election should not come to the polling units because you will regret the consequences.
“It is only voters that we want at the polling units. We are saying it without any or favour and we are going to act it in fullness.
“We want to tell people that this is the capital of Nigeria and the headquarters of all security agencies involved in elections,” Sunday said.
He urged registered voters in the FCT to come out and vote without fair, assuring them that the territory is safe for the election.
Sunday disclosed that the security agencies recently carried out raid on different bandits’ camps in states bordering FCT, while security analysis had also be conducted on FCT.
He said that surveillance helicopters would be deployed to cover parts of FCT not covered by telecommunications network.
He added that Memorandum of Understanding had been signed with party leaders and their candidates in the elections to abide by the rules.
He said that decision on restriction of movement, either total or partial, would be established and communicated to FCT residents after necessary consultation with stakeholders is completed.
The NSCDC Commandant FCT, Peter Magari, pleaded that the corps would work with other security agencies to ensure that critical national assets in the territory were protected during the election.
Magari, represented by Deputy Commandant FCT, Felix Ikwuegbu, pleaded that corps would work other security agencies to ensure peaceful conduct of the election.
He said that NSCDC would also deploy its dogs and patrol vehicles to support police in ensuring that the election is free and fair.
INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Election and Party Monitoring Committee (EPMC), Prof. Kunle Ajayi, assured FCT residents of smooth electronic voter accreditation process on the election day.
Ajayi reiterated INEC commitment to continue with the deployment of technology in its electoral activities.
“Thus, the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) which was deployed during the last Anambra State Governorship election will be fully deployed at the FCT Area Council election with an assurance that the hitches experienced at Anambra State Governorship poll has been fully addressed.
“Therefore, residents of FCT should look forward to a smooth electronic Voter Accreditation Process and the upload of Polling Units (PU) results in real time.”
Ajayi also reiterated INEC decision that voting would not take place at 593 Polling Units with no registered voters in the FCT, which were among the newly created 2,260 PUs on June 4, 2021.
INEC Director, Election and Party Monitoring (EPM), Aminu Idris, advised the accredited observer groups to submit their reports as soon as the election was concluded.
“We expect that you will do a very good job for us, in trying to see areas we can improve,” Idris said. (NAN)
