Police in Ekiti State have fortified security around the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Ado Ekiti branch where the recalled election materials for last Saturday’s rescheduled polls are being kept.
The commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Asuquo Amba, who made the disclosure said the deployment of more security men became necessary so as to safeguard the sensitive materials deposited at the bank.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had on Saturday February 16 postponed the Presidential and National Assembly elections to February 23, citing logistics problems and immediately ordered the immediate recall of all the already deployed voting materials from across all the 16 local government areas of the state.
Amba who spoke to newsmen in Ado Ekiti yesterday, through the Command’s public relations officer, Mr Caleb Ikechukwu, assured all the political parties candidates and supporters that the materials are in a safe custody and under thorough security protection.
He said: “If you visit the CBN office in Ekiti now, you will see more security men around the place. We are cognizance of the fact that security lapses could mar these coming polls and we are guarding against that.
“As we speak, we have drafted more mobile policemen and our men from the Special Protection Unit (SPU), who are specially trained on how to protect election materials are there.
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“We are working round the clock to block all loopholes criminals can use to truncate the process here, so there is no cause for worry.
“Our people, particularly all parties should be rest assured that we shall ensure that all the materials are delivered to the designated points, no room for diversion,” he said.
While commending the residents for their peaceful dispositions, the CP said that the command has not arrested anyone in connection with any form of violence since the beginning of electioneering in the state.
On the allegations raised by the chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) , Barrister Gboyega Oguntuase that his members were attacked in Igbara Odo and Omuo Ekiti by suspected party thugs, Amba said : “We have not received any formal petition from the party concerning this. This command is apolitical and neutral, so if we have any evidence of attack by any party, we are going to investigate and whoever is found culpable shall be arrested and prosecuted accordingly.”
Amba added that the three other commissioners of Police deployed in Ekiti by the Inspector General of Police, Mr Mohammed Adamu for the purpose of the election have been asked to temporarily return to Abuja due to the postponement.
“They have been asked to return to Abuja temporarily and by Thursday, they will return to Ekiti. The essence of their presence in the state was to make sure we have strong security across the three senatorial districts, because each commissioner is to man each of the districts for better performances of our men”, he said.
