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From Aloysius Attah, Onitsha
The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun has deployed a Commissioner of Police Abayomi Shogunle to take charge of the Anambra State Police Command ahead of the forthcoming governorship election.
According to a statement issued by the Police Public Relation Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga on Tuesday, the deployment of Shogunle aligns with the operational strategy approved by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), aimed at strengthening strategic security measures for a peaceful, credible, and transparent electoral process in the state.
Ikenga said that upon assumption of duty, CP Shogunle activated the IGP’s Enforcement Protocol on Anti-Electoral Offences, designed to ensure zero tolerance for ballot snatching, vote buying, political thuggery, and voter intimidation. He also enhanced the activities of the Electoral Offences Desk to monitor social media and online platforms for cyber-related electoral offences for prompt investigation and prosecution.
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He noted that the Commissioner has further established a central command framework to enhance real-time intelligence sharing, coordination, and rapid response. He confirmed a joint deployment of over 60,000 security personnel drawn from agencies under the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) to secure the state’s 5,720 polling units, inter-local government boundaries, and designated election collation centres.
CP Shogunle reiterated the total ban on all vigilante groups, including Agunechemba and other quasi-security outfits, emphasizing that only federal security agencies are legally authorized to perform election security duties.
He also warned that VIPs with armed escorts or security aides will not be allowed access to polling or collation centres, stressing that violators would be apprehended, have their escorts withdrawn, and face prosecution. Only INEC officials, accredited observers, and journalists are permitted to move freely within designated areas.
The Commissioner appealed to political actors, community leaders, and the electorate to cooperate with the police and other security agencies to maintain peace before, during, and after the election.
