IGP admits that massive security deployment may have an impact on turnout, but it is necessary

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Usman Baba, admitted on Thursday that the mass deployment of security personnel for the Anambra state governorship election on November 6 may discourage voter turnout, but that it is a necessary measure to checkmate criminals disrupting the process.

The IGP, who spoke at a ministerial media briefing organized by the Presidential Communications Team at the presidential villa in Abuja, said that in order to ensure that people come out to vote, the police have issued jingles and spoken to stakeholders to assure them of their safety.

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According to him, the majority of officers assigned to polling stations would be unarmed because they would be involved in detecting vote rigging and illegal campaigning at polling places.

“As for the massive deployment, yes, it has its advantages and disadvantages, and that is why, knowing that it has the disadvantage of potentially militarizing the electoral process, we try to involve the engagement of public enlightenment, the engagement of stakeholders that our presence is to police the situation in two ways,” he said.

“It’s just that, while we’re encouraging people to vote, another group or other subversive elements are saying, ‘don’t come.'” We’ll do this and that if you come.’ So there must be some level of assurance that we will provide to these people in order for them to come out, which necessitates a massive deployment of officers and men who will also ensure that subversive elements do not take over the process.

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“While we have other elements that would police the election, which are mostly…we don’t even arm them.” Those we are deploying to polling stations to ensure order and to check for electoral malpractices such as vote buying, campaigning in the polling place, and so on, do not even need to be armed.

“However, you also need to put officers on standby, on patrol, to check would-be persons carrying arms against the state.”

Meanwhile, the IGP has stated that the Police Department has not received any extradition request from the US government for the embattled Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Abba Kyari.