Polls: Police Deploys 6,000 To Rivers

The Inspector-General of Police, Mr Solomon Arase, has deployed 6,000 personnel and 14 units of Police Mobile Force personnel to compliment the officers and men of the Rivers State Command for the March 19 re-run elections in the state.
This is contained in statement issued by the Force spokesperson, Acting Assistant Commissioner of Police, Olabisi Kolawole, and issued to newsmen, yesterday in Abuja.
The statement said that Arase had also directed the Assistant Inspector-General in charge of Zone 6, Calabar, Adisa Baba Bolanta, to relocate to Port Harcourt for pre-election preparations.
It stated that three commissioners of police had also been deployed to supervise security arrangements in Rivers-East, West and South-East senatorial districts.
The statement added that the Deputy Inspector-General in charge of Operations, Sontoye Wakama, had also been directed to proceed to Rivers State to hold meetings with stakeholders and police officers in the state command to ensure law and order and the peaceful conduct of the electorate and residents of the state before, during and after the elections.
It said that Arase assured law abiding electorate of a secure and enabling environment to exercise their franchise.
The IGP warned security details not to accompany their principals and politicians to polling booths and collation centres during the elections.
The statement emphasised that only security personnel specially assigned for election duties must be seen within and around the designated places.
It said that the deployment was part of strategies to prevent electoral violence and ensure smooth and orderly conduct of the elections.