5,000 Policemen, 3,000 Para-military Deployed For Elections In Kwara

Mr. Peter Gana, the Commisioner of police in Kwara, says 5,000 policemen and 3,000 para-military officers will be deployed to provide security during the April general elections in the state.

He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ilorin on Tuesday that  the police command had made adequate arrangements to effectively cover the 1,872 polling centres in the state.

Gana said the command had taken note of violence-prone areas   with a view to providing extra surveillance and more armed security officers in those locations.

He said the action had become necessary since policemen would not be allowed to carry arms at the voting centres.

Gana said the command had concluded arrangements to provide striking units across the state that would easily be mobilised to violence areas during and after the elections.

He said the command was fully prepared to discharge its duty and ensure free, fair, credible and violence-free elections beginning from Saturday with the National Assembly.

The commissioner solicited for the cooperation and support of the media to ensure that the elections were violence-free in the state and the country in general.

He announced that vehicular movements would be restricted on the election days, with the exception of vehicles that would be on electoral duties.

Gana said security agents would also carry out motorised patrol of violence-prone areas in the state as part of security measures to pre-empt any breakdown of law and order.

He said the command had intensified its enlightenment campaign  and training of its officers.