Ahead of the Anambra gubernatorial election scheduled for November 8, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has approved the deployment of 45,000 police officers to polling units and across the state.
Egbetokun said that the huge number is to ensure that adequate security before, during and after the poll, in order to achieve free and fair electoral exercise.
He disclosed this on Tuesday during meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) held at INEC Headquarters, Abuja,
The IGP, who was represented by Commissioner of Police Abayomi Sogunle, said the deployment would ensure adequate security before, during, and after the polls.
He announced that pre-election deployments would begin on November 1, with tactical units conducting clearance operations to neutralize threats and arrest potential troublemakers.
Egbetokun also disclosed that only security agencies officially represented in the ICCES—such as the Police, DSS, NSCDC, and the military—would be involved in the election. “No vigilante group will be allowed to play any role in the electoral process,” he stressed.
He further stated that the police would impose movement restrictions on Election Day and ensure all entry and exit points in Anambra are adequately manned. “We are determined to deliver a peaceful and credible election,” he said.
