…CP Etaifo says arrested violators to be moved to Abuja

The Commissioner of Police in charge of Osun governorship election, Samuel Erale Etaifo, on Wednesday disclosed that no fewer than 15,000 personnel had been deployed for the conduct of the August 15 gubernatorial poll in the state.

He explained that his earlier redeployment for the exercise followed mounting tension and violence in the state, which had culminated in attacks and gruesome killings in some parts of the state.

Etaifo, who spoke during a session with some police personnel deployed for the election, at Police Officers Mess in Osogbo, however, cautioned them against any act capable of compromising the conduct of the exercise.

According to him, anyone caught comprising free and fair election whether a police officer, political gladiators, members of any political parties will be dealt with within the ambit of the law.

“Arrested violators of electoral laws will be moved straight to Abuja. No one arrested here in Osun during the course or after the election will be taken to Abuja. This election is a federal government election. Anybody arrested will be taken to Abuja. That’s the order.

“As I speak with you the total number of officers that will come for this election we should be expecting nothing less than 15,000. This includes conventional policemen, specialists, dog section, medical, PMF. The DIG and AIG in charge of this operations are coming.

“I will be the CP in charge of the election. That is why the IGP has deployed me here. We are supposed to arrive here about four minutes or five days before the election but because of the heightened tension IGP said I should come being the junior officer, “Etaifo posited.