Anambra 2021 Elections: IGP Overhauls Security Landscape Ahead Polls

BoomRadioNG | October 26, 2021

Ahead of the Anambra gubernatorial elections on November 6, 2021, it has been reported that the inspector-general of police, Usman Alkali Baba has ordered a major detachment of the police force to Anambra state.

This was contained in a statement today signed by the police spokesman, Frank Mba titled , ‘Anambra election: IGP overhauls security landscape ahead of poll.’

He has dispatched the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Force Criminal Investigations and Intelligence Department, Joseph Egbunike as the coordinator of the election security in the state.

He would be assisted by five Assistant Inspectors -General of Police, 14 Commissioners of Police, 31 Deputy Commissioners of Police and 48 Assistant Commissioners of police.

Nigeria Police Force PRO Frank Mba

The statement read, “DIG Egbunike is saddled with the responsibility of overseeing the implementation of the Operation Order evolved from the Election Security Threat Assessment, to ensure a peaceful environment devoid of violence and conducive enough to guarantee that law-abiding citizens freely perform their civic responsibilities without molestation or intimidation.

“Egbunike will be assisted by the DIG in-charge of Operations, Acting DIG Zaki Ahmed. Other strategic commanders deployed in Anambra State include five Assistant Inspectors -General of Police, 14 Commissioners of Police, 31 Deputy Commissioners of Police and 48 Assistant Commissioners of Police.

“The senior officers are to coordinate human and other operational deployments in the three Senatorial Districts, 21 Local Government Areas and the 5,720 polling units in Anambra State.”

IGP Usman Alkali Baba

The overhaul is coming after the Indigenous People of Biafra threatened to disrupt the poll if its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, who is currently in detention was not released by November 4 and said it would announce a daily stay-at-home from November 4, if its demand was not met.

But the IG was quoted to calling on the electorates in the state to come out en masse and exercise their franchise “as adequate security has been put in place to protect them before, during and after the elections.”

Dolupo Balogun