By Giwa SHILE
President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday in Abuja held a closed-door meeting with security chiefs, ahead of Saturday’s Governorship and House of Assembly Elections.
The meeting also had in attendance, the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, Directors-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mr Yusuf Bichi and National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ahmed Abubakar, in attendance.
The acting IGP, who spoke with State House correspondents shortly after the meeting, expressed the readiness of the security agencies to ensure peaceful conduct of the elections.
According to him, security will be intensified in all the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
He said more than 300,000 policemen, in addition to personnel from other agencies, who had been adequately briefed to discharge their professional responsibilities would be deployed.
Adamu urged all stakeholders to conduct themselves in orderly manners and abide by all laid down procedures.
He warned that security agencies would deal with those who might want to disrupt the process, adding that they were determined to improve on the last elections’ security arrangements.
“We will like every Nigerian to come out and cast his or her vote. The security arrangement we provided during the presidential election is being enhanced to provide enabling environment for everybody to come out and cast their votes.
“We will again advise those that will want to disrupt the process to rethink because during the presidential election, we had some few challenges here and there. We will not allow those challenges to be repeated.
“So, thuggery, ballot snatching and disruption of the election process are not allowed. We, the security personnel have resolved to deal ruthlessly with anybody who attempts to disrupt the process,’’ he added.
The acting IGP maintained that the process for the conduct of the election in all the states must be respected.
He said “We expect that electoral materials must not be tempered with; and that the INEC officials would do their work without fear or favour. Also, they should not compromise while discharging their duties.
“Similarly, the security personnel are to perform their duties without allowing themselves to be compromised.
“So, we have heightened the security arrangement to make sure that the elections go without any hitch.’’
Adamu disclosed that some suspects, who were arrested during the presidential and national assembly elections, would soon be prosecuted.
He said a committee headed by a commissioner of police would compile and prosecute all those apprehended for various electoral offences.——NAN
