The Inspector General of Police, IGP, Ibrahim Idris, has approved the deployment of additional twenty five thousand (25,000) Police personnel to Edo State to ensure safety of life and property before, during and after this Saturday’s governorship election.

The IGP has also deployed a Deputy Inspector General of Police, assisted by an Assistant Inspector General of Police and three commissioners of Police to coordinate electoral process in the state.

This was contained in a statement released by the force public relations officer, Don Awunah, on Tuesday in Abuja.

Awunah said the police personnel comprised “the Police Mobile Force [PMF], the Counter Terrorism Units [CTU], the Anti bomb Squad [EOD], the Marine Police, Conventional policemen, the Armament Units, Personnel from Force criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department [FCIID], Force Intelligence Bureau [FIB] and the Sniffer Dog Section.”

The statement added that “the Police Aerial Surveillance Helicopters and Gun Boats, ten [10] additional Armoured Personnel Carriers and five hundred and fifty patrol vehicles will be deployed, to cover all the polling units, rack centers, collating centres, Riverine areas and difficult terrains.”

Awuna stated that “the IGP will convene a Peace Accord Meeting of all the political parties, candidates, INEC officials, Election Observers and other stakeholders before the date of the election in Benin City, Edo State.”

“This meeting will focus on the overall desirability of peace during the election and adherence to the rules of the game,” he said.

The FPRO urged all police personnel and other security agencies on electoral duty “to be professionally polite and civil but firm in the discharge of their statutory duties” which is “to provide adequate security for the electorates, INEC officials, electoral materials, election observers and all stakeholders throughout the period of the election.”

He called on political parties and their leaders, traditional rulers,and  community leaders, to prevail on their people to be law abiding and not allow themselves to be used to cause trouble.

He warned that the full weight of the law “will be fully applied on any person or group of persons found violating the Electoral Act.”

The IGP enjoined Edo electorates to cooperate with the Police force in the discharge of its duties, promising that its personnel “will operate within the framework of Democratic Policing.”