The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun has banned Amotekun and other non-federal security outfits from participating in the Ondo elections.
Citing the guidelines for election security in Nigeria, The IGP sent a warning to individuals and groups that might intend to disrupt the process, before, during, and after the elections, saying, that anyone caught in the act of election misconduct will face the full force of the law.
Egbetokun through the spokesperson of the police force, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Olumuyiwa Adejobi said, “The message is clear. Those who attempt to jeopardise the peace and security of the state will not go unpunished.”. He also added that the responsibility of election security solely rests on the shoulders of the police, other federal government security agencies, and the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES).
The IGP said the police is fully prepared to ensure a smooth and peaceful election process in all the local government areas, wards, and polling units across Ondo State, in line with high election standards. He revealed that a comprehensive plan for strategic deployment of personnel and state-of-the-art equipment had been put in place. The IGP added that the deployment will cut across the various units of the force including the Police Mobile Force (PMF), Special Intervention Squad, Special Protection Unit (SPU), Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU), Explosive Ordinance Disposal Unit, K-9 Unit, Federal Intelligence and Security Task Force (FID-STS), Federal Investigation and Intelligence Response Team (FID-IRT), and the deployment of helicopters and gun-boats for aerial and waterways patrols. These security agencies, he said, will work in strict adherence to the provisions of the 2022 Electoral Act.
