July 23, (THEWILL) – The Lagos State Police Command says it has marshalled all necessary resources to guarantee security through the duration of Saturday’s council polls.
The Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, gave this indication on Friday in a statement from the State Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi.
Odumosu, who warned politicians and their supporters, stakeholders and residents of the state to play the game according to the rules, said the police and other security agencies deployed for the exercise would not condone any act of thuggery, hooliganism, electoral malpractices and criminality in any part of the state before, during and after the councils’ elections.
The state police boss, who met with Area Commanders, Divisional Police Officers, Squadron/Tactical Units leaders for hitch-free elections, said the directives were given to the officers to ensure that all Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission’s facilities, sensitive materials, polling units and collation centres were adequately protected.
He said: “Officers and men who had been detailed for the election duty must work hand in hand with other security operatives that are being incorporated into the security arrangements for the elections.
“The officers and men must discharge their duties according to the Standard Operating Procedure of the Nigeria Police and extant electoral laws.”
The Commissioner said that the command had put measures in place to enforce the restriction of movement across the state between the hours of 6.00 a.m. and 3.00 p.m. on Saturday, July 24.
He added that only those on election duty and essential services would be exempted.
“We assure the good people of Lagos State, LASIEC officials, candidates, accredited election observers and other actors in the election of adequate security before, during and after the elections,” he said.
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