By Giwa SHILE
The Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG) in charge of ICT and the North Central, Mr Godwin Nwobodo, has warned police personnel against abandoning their duty posts during the upcoming elections.
Nwobodo gave the warning at a stakeholders’ meeting held at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command on Monday in Abuja.
“Any policeman who abandons his or her duty post and INEC officials half way into the election will face the consequences.
“No policeman closes from his or her duty post until the results are collated and declared,’’ he said.
He said that the police would collaborate with other stakeholders to have peaceful and credible elections.
The police boss said that elections were meant to advance the cause of any nation and not to threaten national security.
“I want to believe that this election will be free, fair and credible,’’ he said.
He urged the stakeholders to prevail on their followers and supporters to be civil during the exercise.
Earlier, the Resident Electoral Commissioner in the FCT, Alhaji Yahaya Bello called on the police to provide adequate security for its personnel and materials across the 62 wards during the elections.
He was represented by the Head of Operations, Mr Umar Ahmadu.
He said that the FCT has 8,71 polling units, 2,822 voting points which required adequate security, adding that the command was capable of providing the needed security.
Also speaking, Mr Paddy Njokwu, a member of the FCT Eminent Persons Forum, advised INEC to conduct free and fair elections that all Nigerians would be proud of.
Njokwu said the commission must conduct elections devoid of rancour and disillusion.
He advised journalists to be fair in their reportage to prevent violence during the exercise.
Also, the President, Market Women Association, Mrs Felicia Sani, urged the force to provide a conducive working environment for its personnel to avoid being compromised during the elections.
She said adequate provisions of welfare packages would help policemen to focus on election duties.
TBI Africa said the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting was attended by members of the NURTW, political parties, and traditional rulers among others.
