Police to deploy personnel, logistics for Edo polls

The Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ibrahim Idris, says more personnel and materials would soon be deployed to ensure a hitch-free gubernatorial election in Edo State.
Idris spoke yesterday during the monthly IGP’s conference with senior police officers and state Commissioners of Police at the Force Headquarters in Abuja.
He said over 200 patrol vehicles, helicopters, marine police officers and thousands of personnel would be deployed in the slated for September 10.
He also charged police officers to be neutral in the election.
 “The police will continue to maintain neutrality during rerun polls and in the coming elections. We will soon come out with a strategic operating order for the Edo polls. We will deploy marine police officers, helicopters and 200 vehicles with thousands of men. I want to advise the Commissioner of Police in the state to make judicious use of the resources to ensure a peaceful poll,” he added.
Idris restated the ban on roadblocks, while ordering Assistant Inspectors-General of Police in charge of zonal formations and commissioners to set up monitoring teams to enforce the ban.
He said there had been complaints about roadblocks in the South-east, noting that monitoring teams would also be deployed from the Force Headquarters to ensure compliance.
Idris also pointed out the importance of visibility policing as deterrence to crime, and told the officers to ensure that the personnel were visible at road junctions and street beats.
Idris presented cheques to the Next of Kin of officers who recently died in the line of duty. Cheques for N192million were presented to 117 relatives.