By Evelyn Usman

Ahead of today’s  gubernatorial election in Edo state, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps has deployed  7,000 personnel to work  with other security agents with a view to ensuring a violence- free election.

Commandant General of the Corps, Dr Ade Abolurin in a statement signed by spokesman for the Corps,Mr  Okeh Emmanuel, advised indigenes of the state to shun threat of violence on  election day, describing it as a calculated attempt to prevent them from coming out to vote.

Rather, he assured them of  their safety, warning  anyone or group that might be  preparing to cause mayhem or be used as mercenaries “ to jeopardize the credibility or fairness of the election process to know that they will be faced with the full force of the law”.

Considering the political tension in the state, he explained that the personnel deployed  comprised  the Counter Terrorism and Counter Insurgency unit; the Nuclear, Bio-chemical and Radioactive Team, Technical and Operational staff , as well as Dog section for crowd control and orderliness. The personnel he said, “ have since been deployed to monitor both pre and post election situations with a view to nipping in the bud any act that could jeopardize the smooth running of the election or any act capable of causing election malpractices or post election crises.

To the Political Parties and  actors, Abolurin advised that , “election is not a do or die  affair like the statement of Mr. President who says “It is not worth dying for”.  Every other contestant should cue to that statement by ensuring that innocent Nigerians are not killed or destroyed for their sake. At the end of the election losers and winners should embrace themselves for the sake of peace”

And to parents, he advised them to warn their wards not to be used by politicians, threatening that anyone caught in any act of thuggery or electoral fraud would be dealt with decisively, even as he called on voters to avail the personnel of useful information that would nip in the bud activities of mischief makers.