Police to deploy 33,783 personnel for Ondo governorship election

The Nigeria Police Force will deploy 33,783 personnel to provide security at the Ondo State governorship election holding on October 10, the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, has said.

Mr Adamu made this known during a stakeholders meeting with political parties, traditional rulers, election observers and other stakeholders on Monday in Akure.

He said the Force would deploy 30,933 conventional police personnel and 2,850 special agents for the exercise.

He said the police deployment would be complemented by an additional 3,500 manpower to be drawn from other security agencies.

“The military will be engaged for the purpose of securing the state’s borders while the Nigeria Police Air Wing will be provided air surveillance.

“The personnel shall be deployed to adequately secure the 3,009 polling units in the 203 wards of the 18 local government areas of the state.

“They are to protect the personnel and assets of theIndependent National Electoral Commission, the electorate and residents of Ondo State in general before, during and after the election,’’ he said.

Mr Adamu said the rationale for the deployment was drawn from the experience garnered at the recently-concluded governorship election in Edo State and proactive response to the outcome of intelligence analyses gathered on Ondo State’s governorship elections.

He added said the deployment was equally to deny misguided political actors who might be bent on threatening the election procedure through acts inimical to the dictates of the Electoral Act, the pleasure of manifesting their ignoble traits.