30, 000 cops in Lagos for polls
| April 4, 2011 02:45AM |  print  email   |
The Lagos State Police Command has deployed 30,000 police officers for the conduct of the general elections in the state.
The state’s Commissioner for Police, Suleiman Abba, stated this during a press briefing yesterday at the Police Command Headquarters at Ikeja. He said that other security agencies in the state are collaborating with the police to ensure Lagos State is peaceful throughout the elections.
“Officers of the various security agencies have been adequately oriented, mobilised and are fully prepared to provide adequate security which will ensure a peaceful conduct of the 2011 general elections,” he said. “Our security arrangement where about 30,000 police officers, and other security and law enforcement personnel are deployed will guarantee public safety and peace during the election.”
No movement
Mr Abba urged members of the public to cooperate with security officials with useful information that will help nip crime in the bud during the election. “At this point, it is important to draw the attention of members of the public to some salient issues concerning security during the forthcoming elections; one of such is the ban on movement of vehicles between 8am-4pm on each election day,” he said. “However, movement of vehicles such as those for medicals, fire services, accredited press/media and election observers, and for the similar circumstances, which do not contravene the provisions of the Electoral Acts, or INEC guidelines, shall be allowed.”
The police boss also warned persons planning to disrupt the elections to desist from such plans or face the full wrath of the law. “For the purpose of these elections, the Lagos State Police Command has conducted numerous workshops and conferences toward sensitising our personnel on their responsibilities before, during and after the elections,” he said. “I implore the general public to be law abiding. We will diligently enforce the laws which I urged everybody not to contravene. In particular, violence or brandishing of weapons unlawfully in the election venues or elsewhere in the state will be appropriately deal with.”
The hotlines
He also released emergency numbers members of the public can reach the command with during the elections. “There are emergency telephone numbers provided in the police Control Rooms 1,2 and 3 which every member of the public can call as well as toll free lines 767 and 112 respectively,” he said. “You can also call the Area Commanders or DPOs.”
Armed military officers have mounted road blocks and are conducting stop and search operations at flash points in the state. Areas like Ikorodu, Ojuelegba, Mushin, Oshodi, Maryland, Victoria Island, and other crime prone areas were under their watch on Saturday before the elections were cancelled.
Mr Abba was deployed from Rivers State to Lagos for the purpose of the general election.
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