Amotekun get ‘stay away’ directive from IGP for Ondo governorship poll
The south-west security outfit, Amotekun have been told by the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun that their services would not be needed during the Ondo governorship election.
Egbetokun identified that “comprehensive plans” have been established to ensure that the November 16 exercise is seamless and peaceful.
Police spokesman, Sunday, Olumuyiwa Adejobi in a statement established that the IGP has ordered a “strategic deployment of adequate personnel, resources, and state-of-the-art equipment” to be available for the exercise.
He noted that in order to achieve a peaceful election, security officers from different units have been deployed and that any one who tries to disrupt the election would face the full wrath of the law.
The security presence expected to be on ground include special intervention squad, Police Mobile Force (PMF), counter-terrorism unit (CTU), special protection unit (SPU), explosive ordinance disposal unit, K-9 unit, Federal Investigation and Intelligence Response Team (FID-IRT), and Federal Intelligence and Security Task Force (FID-STS).
Adejobi went further to say that aerial patrol and water patrol units will also be present to ensure that the exercise is void of any form of electoral violence.
He said, “In addition to ground personnel, aerial patrols will be conducted with police helicopters, while gunboats will patrol the state’s waterways and riverine areas to ensure security across all terrains”.
“These comprehensive measures will serve as a deterrent to any attempt to disrupt the electoral process and will enhance the overall stability of the elections”.
“The IGP has also issued a stern warning to political thugs and any individuals or groups who may contemplate acts of violence or disruption before, during, or after the election: they will face the full force of the law”.
“The message is clear, those who attempt to jeopardize the peace and security of the state will not go unpunished”.
“Furthermore, the IGP reaffirmed the established guidelines governing election security management in Nigeria, stressing that no quasi-security organization, including state-backed groups like Vigilante Corps or Amotekun, will be permitted to participate in the election process”.
Adejobi noted that the security officers have been briefed and will comply with strict adherence to the Electoral Act 2022 guidelines to ensure fairness and transparency.
