As residents of Anambra State prepare to head to the polls tomorrow for the governorship election, the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Force Intelligence, DIG Benjamin Okolo, has assured the electorate of adequate security measures across the state.
DIG Okolo, who also serves as the Supervisory DIG for the Anambra Governorship Election, gave the assurance today during an interview at the Police Command Headquarters in Awka. He stated that the security architecture for the election had been fully activated in line with the directive of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun.
According to him, the IGP had earlier directed all police commands and formations to ensure watertight security and intensify intelligence-led operations to prevent any attempt to disrupt the process. He also warned political actors to conduct themselves responsibly, emphasizing that the police would not hesitate to enforce the law where necessary.
“All security arrangements have been finalised to ensure a peaceful, fair, and credible election across the state,” DIG Okolo stated. “The IGP has ordered maximum deployment of personnel, logistics, and intelligence assets to guarantee the safety of voters, electoral officials, and election materials.”
Addressing concerns about flashpoints and possible unrest, he added that proactive deployments had been made to respond swiftly to any incident. “Adequate security arrangements have been made in accordance with the IGP’s directive. We have also made contingency plans to handle any situation that may arise during the exercise,” he said.
The senior officer further highlighted that the police, in collaboration with other security agencies, had carried out several pre-election engagements, including stakeholder meetings and the signing of a peace accord by political parties and candidates. These initiatives, he noted, were designed to foster peace and deter violence before, during, and after the polls.
“We assure the people of Anambra that through our engagements with stakeholders, the peace accord, and the readiness of our men on ground, every measure has been taken to ensure that the election is peaceful, fair, and credible,” DIG Okolo reiterated.
He also appealed to voters to come out en masse and exercise their civic responsibility without fear, assuring that all security operatives had been properly briefed to maintain professionalism, neutrality, and respect for human rights throughout the process.
With the deployment of personnel across the 21 local government areas, polling units, and collation centres, the Police High Command reaffirmed that Anambra is fully secured and ready for a peaceful governorship election on Saturday.