The Nigeria Police Force has read the riot act to residents of Ekiti State without permanent voter cards (PVCs) to stay in-doors during the scheduled governorship poll in the state today. This is coming just as the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Usman Alkali Baba, directed restrictions of vehicular movement within a certain period of hours as part of security measures for peaceful conduct of the election.
Warning message on residents without PVCs to stay indoors was made public by the Force Public Relations Officer, Mr. Olumuyiwa Adejobi, in an interview on Channels TV, while the decision to restrict movement into and out of the state was conveyed by the force spokesman for Ekiti State, Mr. Sunday Abutu on Friday.
“I am happy to state that our personnel alongside operatives of sister security agencies have put in adequate security measures to make the election stress free. We will provide safety for those with proper means of identification particularly those on essential services such as the media. “We are warning those who don’t have anything to do with the election, particularly those without PVCs to stay indoors because we will not tolerate any form of breach to the electoral process.
They can stay at home and watch on television,” Adejobi said. Meanwhile, the IGP who spoke through the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Force CID/ Coordinating DIG for South West and the election security Commander for the Ekiti State gubernatorial election, Mr. Johnson Babatunde Kokumo, stated that restriction of movement into and out of the state will be in place for some hours.
The resolve of the police was conveyed by the PPRO for Ekiti State, Mr. Abutu, in a statement he issued on Friday quoting Kokumo as stating that the Force has mobilised all necessary assets in partnership with other security agencies to provide adequate security and ensure free, fair and credible election. “The Inspector General of Police equally, ordered the restriction of vehicular movements within the State particularly along the entry and exit points to Ekiti State with effect from 12:00 midnight on Friday to 6:00pm on Saturday.
“To this end, operatives of the Nigeria Police Force and the military as well as other security agencies have been deployed across the state borders to enforce the restriction order to the letter and ensure criminal minded individuals do not infiltrate into the state and cause mayhem during, before and after the election.”
