The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Usman Alkali-Baba, says about 404,106 security personnel will be deployed for the conduct of the forthcoming elections, to ensure the smooth conduct of the exercise.
Baba made the disclosure while appearing at the Ministerial Media briefing, organised by the Presidential Communications Team, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Thursday.
He said the deployment includes 310,973 police personnel compromising of Mobile and Conventional policemen, the Special Counter-Terrorism unit, the Intelligence Response Team and other sessions of the police.
Also, a total of 93,495 personnel would be deployed through the police and drawn from other security agencies including 151,000 from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), 21,000 from the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), 11,336 from the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS), 9,447 from the National Drug Law Enforcement Agencies (NDLEA) and 350 from the Economic and Financial and Crimes Commission (EFCC).
In his words, “With this, two personnel drawn from the above agencies will be jointly deployed to man each of the polling units across the county while the armed personnel will secure the public spaces, INEC facilities, vulnerable locations, border areas, as well as undertake armed escort duties for the INEC personnel, materials and local and international observers.
“We also expect the military to complement these locations by providing armed protection to critical national asserts, ensure the enforcement of movement is curtailed through the blocking of our inland ways, exit and entry points to various states and local government areas.”
He added that Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCPs) will be deployed to coordinate the operations of the six geo-political zones, while Commissioners of Police (CPs) are to supervise the elections at senatorial zones across the country.
The Police boss also said at least 74 Armoured Personnel Carriers, 37 Water Cannons, 1,240 patrol vehicles, 50 ambulances and 300 motorcycles will be deployed nationwide including surveillance helicopters, and canine support, amongst others.
