By Joseph Undu

No fewer than 5,000 policemen including other security personnel from sister agencies would be deployed to various polling booth in today’s bye-election in Ifako Ijaiye Federal constituency of Lagos State.

According to the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP, Fatai Owoseni, the 5,000 security personnel were drawn from the Police, Military, Civil Defence Corps and the Department of State Security Services, DSS.

CP Owoseni made this known during a meeting of security chiefs in Lagos with the candidates and officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, as part of preparation for the election into the Federal House of Representatives.

He said: ‘’The main reason for this meeting is for stakeholders to have understanding on the need for a peaceful election.   This meeting is an opportunity for candidates to sign an undertaking for a peaceful exercise. As candidates and leaders to be, you must be able to control your supporters and agents to be of good behaviour.

‘’The Police, Military, NSCDC and DSS are collaborating to secure the election. We are going to use 5,000 officers and men. There would be restriction of human and vehicular movement between 12 midnight on Friday and Saturday in the area.   The military had been ordered to enforce the restriction. Trouble makers should keep away from the area during the election, “he said.

Meanwhile, the INEC Supervising Officer in South-West, Chief Shoyebi Adedeji who also spoke at the event noted that all sensitive materials have been distributed to all the wards.

He said: “Lagos State was the least volatile state in the country, stressing that INEC was expecting to see peace and spirit of sportsmanship on Saturday.” Some of the political parties whose representatives were handy to sign the peace accord include: All Progressives Party, APC, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Social Democratic Party, SDP and ADC, while AA and AD had no representatives.