*IG restrict MOPOL to barracks in Lagos

The Police High Command, yesterday, dispelled insinuations that the nationwide postponement of the National Assembly elections would lead to a breakdown of law and order, saying there was no cause for alarm.

 Force Public Relations Officer, Mr. Olusoal Amore, a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), gave the assurance while reacting to the security implications of the abrupt postponement of  exercise that was already at an advance stage. 

 He said, “There is no cause for alarm, we are on ground. The postponement of the elections was purely INEC’s business; the police are always there to provide security for both the electorate and INEC officials. If the commission says Nigerians should file out tomorrow for the exercise, we will be available to discharge our constitutional duty. So, there won’t be any security implication as far as we are concerned.”

Meanwhile, all anti-riot policemen popularly called MOPOL in Lagos were yesterday restricted to their barracks on the orders of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP, Hafiz Ringim, following allegations that the Lagos State Government had perfected plans to use them rig the National Assembly elections to the favour of its candidates. 

Sunday Vanguard went round town to discover that apart from the conventional policemen attached to the respective polling zones, the usual patrol of anti-riot policemen in the state was not felt.  But at the MOPOL 20, 22 Barracks, Ikeja GRA, the anti-riot policemen though kited in their battle uniforms, were spotted in their hundreds loitering around.

 Some of them who spoke on condition of anonymity condemned the decision of the police boss, saying that they had been denied of their usual election patrol allowance.

According to them, it was the speculation that the Action Congress of Nigeria-led government in Lagos was going to use the police for its favour that made the Police High Command to reject no fewer than 400 patrol vans donated to the Lagos State Police Command by the Governor Babatunde Fashola administration.  The vehicles, it was gathered, have since been distributed to other sister organisations including the army in the state.

Earlier, before the postponement, the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, DIG ‘D’ Department, Mr. Ganiyu Daudu, in company of the Commissioner of Police, and the Assistant Inspector-General of Police Messrs Suleiman Abbas and Sulieman Fakai, had visited the INEC office in Yaba to assess the commission’s preparedness to conduct the elections.

 After the departure of the DIG to Ogun State, the commissioner of police went round the state to get an on-the-spot report of the conduct of the elections.

Except in a polling zone in the Makinde area of Oshodi where there was a slight face-off between INEC officials over the figure of registered candidates, the general conduct of the exercise was peaceful and orderly.