All Police Commands Will Be Involved in Anambra Guber Poll, Says IG

•  CPs to withdraw personnel illegally attached to VIPs

Paul Obi in Abuja

Ahead of the November 18 governorship election in Anambra State, the Inspector-General of Police (IG), Ibrahim Idris, wednesday said all police commands across the country would be involved in the provision of security.

The IG explained that there are great expectations in the area of security, which would also lead to adequate security and mobilisation of personnel.

He added that personnel of the service would be mobilised from not less than 15 units across the country to police the election.

He also directed state Commissioners of Police (CPs) to probe the deployment of police personnel attached to very important persons with a view to withdrawing those deployed illegally.

He made this known in Abuja while briefing Commissioners of Police and police officers above.
He promised that the police authorities are “working towards ensuring that not only the Anambra election was hitch free but also subsequent ones in Ekiti and Osun states.

“The greatest challenge we are having now is the forthcoming governorship election in Anambra State. We are going to sit down to strategise on how we are going to conduct that election peacefully.
“We will involve all commands, all the state commissioners of police. We are going to sit down and send out directives towards the mobilisation of the police officers that will cover the election,” he said.
Idris said: “Please, when you receive these directives, act on them promptly because it’s going to be a massive deployment. Anywhere you cite some mistakes, send the correction to us so that it can enable us have the deployment very fast.

“There is no time for us to be delaying on some of these issues. The election is on November 18 and I think it’s close enough for all the security arrangements to be made now, especially in terms of deployment of personnel and provision of necessary logistics.
“We are going to deploy about 15 units there to handle the election. And I believe we are going to adequately take care of the election,” he stated
The IG said the “return of normalcy following the excesses of these IPOB has made it easy for us to ensure that the Anambra election is peaceful.”

He bemoaned cases of “illegal deployment of police personnel especially to senior citizens,” and further urged CPs to “immediately assess the situation with a view to doing the right things in conformity with the Police Act and Police Regulations.”
He said: “The issue of illegal deployment of Police mobile units, that’s is the special protection unit and the police mobile force is a concern to us.
“We are going to give all the commands between now and the end of the month to conduct physical checks of all mobile and the special units in all your commands.

“When you conduct that check, the issue of having a squadron commander does not arise, that’s why I’m giving you this special directive. It is the responsibility of the state commands, I have been saying it that deployment of all operations of police in the commands rests squarely with the commissioners of police.
“These are constitutional issues, it doesn’t fall on the squadron commander. So I want all commands to check deployment of the Police Mobile Force and ensure that all those people that are attached with our men from the police mobile force for whatever decision which is not in consonant with the police regulation must stop immediately.

“That decision has to stop. So, in your report, you are going to look at the issue of most of these VIPs that are provided with our men from the special units.
“You have to count their number and then write special reports to us and those you as commissioners of police feel that they don’t deserve to be deployed with these special units, you have to send directives from your offices to the squadron commanders and copy us at the Force Headquarters.

“We are going to have absolute control of the usage of our police men that we attach to VIPs all over the country. I believe this is not an issue that we cannot on our own, handle at the headquarters, so it has to be done with Commissioners of Police.”

He urged state Commissioners of Police “to take over the responsibility of deployment of personnel even from the Police Mobile Force and Special Units,” adding: “they should not allow the responsibility for squadron commanders.”