Polls: NIS Deploys 1,000 Personnel in Kwara, 5,255 NSCDC Men for Rivers

Foreigners warned to stay away from election arena

Hammed Shittu in Ilorin and Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

The Comptroller of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) in Kwara State, Mr. Aminu Shamsuddin has said the service has deployed about 1,000 personnel ahead of Saturday’s presidential election in the state.

Also, in order to ensure violence-free and peaceful elections, the Rivers State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Michael Ogar, said the command has deployed 5,255 personnel to supervise the elections across the state.

Shamsudin however warned foreigners to stay away from the election arena, saying anyone caught would be made to face the full wrath of the law.

Speaking with journalists in Ilorin, yesterday, the comptroller said him men would be deployed to all polling units and border areas in the state to guard against aliens participating in the elections.

According to him, “All district officers will also be on standby to ensure peaceful conduct of the election.”

He warned foreigners not to involve in the election in anyway, stressing that any foreigner found near the polling units would be arrested, repatriated and blacklisted.

The comptroller advised Nigerians living in border areas to remain calm, conduct themselves in an orderly manner.

He assured that all the security personnel would ensure peace and safety during and after the elections.

In a related development, in order to ensure a violence-free and peaceful election, the Rivers State Commandant of the NSCDC has deployed 5,255 personnel to supervise the elections across the state.

The NSCDC Commandant who spoke during a media briefing at the headquarters in Port Harcourt, yesterday, reiterated the readiness of the command to provide adequate security before, during and after the elections.

He affirmed that the Command was fully prepared for the February 25 and March 11, 2023, elections, noting that the Corps’ preparedness was informed by the determination to remain apolitical, neutral and highly professional while on election duty.

Ogar, disclosed that training and re-training programs was organised internally as well as in conjunction with the INEC, the Nigeria Police and other sister security agencies in the state.

He said the training was impactful, hence the NSCDC officers and were well informed on the election operational guidelines, the provisions of the electoral Act 2022, the NSCDC Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) amongst others.

Ogar said “With the level of the training programs we have organised for our personnel coupled with the Election Security Personnel (ESP) joint trainings, you can be rest assured that there would be effective security coverage in the elections.

“In addition, about 105 operational vehicles, 4 Gun Boats and Special Forces from the Intelligence Squad, Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU), Chemical Biological Radiological and Nuclear Explosives Unit (CBRNE), Armed and Antivandal Unit of the Command have been fully briefed and deployed.”

He urged the voters to remain calm and cast their votes in a peaceful manner shunning all forms of electoral violence as the security agencies would not hesitate to arrest anyone who disrupt the peaceful conduct of the elections.