ABEOKUTA – The Police have warned political thugs and their sponsors in Ogun to stay away from polling booths during the governorship and House of Assembly elections on Saturday.
The Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Mobile Police, Force Headquarters, Abuja, Lawal Tanko, gave the warning at a media briefing on Friday in Abeokuta.
The AIG, who is on deployment to the state the elections, warned persons using ‘’guards and escorts’’ to restrict them to a reasonable distance from the polling units.
He said that adequate security arrangements for the elections and post-election period had been made, noting that “the governorship and House of Assembly elections are important, because they are grassroots polls’’.
“The politicians should tell their supporters to play the game by the rules.
“Political thugs and their sponsors will not be allowed to truncate the electoral process.
“ Anyone of them who dares will be dealt with according to the electoral law and the laws of the land.
“The security agents will not allow anyone bearing arms to be very close to the polling units and collating centres.
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“Those VIPs coming to vote must restrict their escorts bearing arms to a reasonable distance from the polling units,” he stated.
Tanko urged voters in the state to turn out and exercise their franchise, assuring that they would be protected against violence.
He warned that anyone who had no business at the polling units and collating centres should stay away.
“The security arrangements in place are not only for the elections; they will be sustained even after the elections to ensure that everything is normal,” he said.
Police Area Commanders, Divisional Police Officers, officials of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Directorate of State Security, Federal Road Safety Commission and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps attended the briefing. (NAN)
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