…Assures of adequate security arrangements for INEC staff, election materials, others

By Joseph Erunke

THE acting Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, today,said police personnel who will be deployed to polling centres will not be allowed to carry firearms.

This was even as he said adequate security arrangements had been made to protect staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC officials, election materials, installations, and voters.

The police chief spoke in Abuja when a delegation of European Union,EU Election Observation Mission to Nigeria visited him.

According to him,while the elections would last, security personnel would keep surveillance at the polling areas to ensure that restriction of movement and other rules were obeyed as stipulated by the electoral law.

Adamu assured that the force, in collaboration with other security agencies, would provide security at the various centres from the beginning to the collation stages of the elections.

He said:“Your presence here in Nigeria to see the process will give credence to the fact that proper arrangement or otherwise has been made,” he said.

“We have done a lot in terms of security and training of our personnel in respect of the elections.

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“Your mission to Nigeria is very important since every Nigerian will want credible elections.”

Speaking earlier, the leader of the delegation, who is the Chief Monitor, Domini Howell, said the visit was to find out the level of preparedness of the police for the elections.

He said:“We know security is important during the elections, so we want to meet you and know your activities for the day of the elections.

Ms Howell said the EU had had 11 persons in Nigeria for the past one month to monitor the level of preparation for the general elections.

She explained that the union currently had 40 persons in the field, adding that on the day of the election, ”no fewer than 120 would be in the field and people from the EU embassies would join”.