Police deploy 15,000 personnel to monitor Akwa Ibom local poll

• Okowa campaigns for PDP candidates
The Police Command in Akwa Ibom has said it would deploy 15, 000 personnel to monitor local council election in the state this Saturday.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Bala Elkana, said the number is made up of special units, those on
plain cloth and the conventional policemen, adding that, two or three of these men would be attached to each polling unit across the 31 local government councils.

“Conventional police will not carry arms into the polling units, but those outside will carry arms in case of any unforeseen occurrence,” he said.

He explained that, particular attention would be paid to areas designated as flash points, stressing that, more police presence would be seen in such areas as Etim Ekpo, Ukanafun and the likes.

The command would also have the services of policemen from neighbouring states to reinforce the number of security operatives that would help monitor the election.

The spokesman explained that, the command so far has succeeded in the pre-elections arrangements as the state did not witnessed any ugly incidence during the primaries and campaigns.

“Politicians have been warned not to go into polling units with armed detail; the Nigerian Police Force will not allow anybody with arm to enter polling units.”

He called on parents to talk to their wards against being used as political thugs by politicians or going to the polling units with dangerous weapons as anybody arrested with such would be made to face the law accordingly.

“We will put on standby anti-riot police men at strategic locations across the 31 local government councils to checkmate any form of problem that may occur after election results must have been announced,” he said.

In another development, campaign for the January 6, 2018 local government elections in Delta State took a new dimension on Tuesday when Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, and the immediate past Governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan led top politicians to campaign for the candidates of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP).

Governor Okowa called on Deltans to collect their voters’ cards to enable them participate in the elections.

The Governor who attended three campaign rallies commencing with that of Patani local government area in Patani, Uvwie local government area at Effurun and Warri South local government area at Warri, stated that obviously, the PDP is strong in the state, emphasizing that what matters is the margin with which such victory is secured.

At the rallies, PDP flags were presented to the chairmanship candidates and candidates for the councillorship positions.